Issuu

The Voice of Adults 50+ in Western Colorado

OCTOBER 2020

Radical

Downsizing How living with less can free up your life

Itâ€™s Medicare Open Enrollment! Review your plan and make changes between October 15 and December 7

What you need to know about adult vaccines

Modern Elder Academy: Retreat to Cabo for new outlooks on aging

We have the personal protective equipment and protocols in place to ensure your safety from COVID-19

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Call us today for a free consultation and 3D image!

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BEACON SENIOR NEWS

WWW.BEACONSENIORNEWS.COM | OCTOBER 2020 |

IN THIS ISSUE

National & Regional Award-Winning Publication OCTOBER 2020 | Volume 33 | Issue 10

Publisher Kevin K. VanGundy Founding Publisher Susan Capps Editor in Chief Cloie Sandlin

Multimedia Editor Lauren Berg Graphic Designers B. Bigler Chrissy Martin Office Manager Stacey Splude Advertising Executives Debra Romaniec Siggie Carpenter Melodie Simon Advertising Assistant Lindsey Christensen Proofreader Jan Weeks Delivery Cora Gentry Lauren VanGundy JR Milner Riki Metzner

P.O. Box 3895 Grand Junction, CO 81502 Phone: 970-243-8829 Website:

www.BeaconSeniorNews.com

Email:

Beacon@PendantPublishing.com The BEACON is published at the beginning of the month. Our goal is to inform and inspire the 50+ community in Mesa, Delta and Montrose counties. Publication of advertising does not necessarily constitute endorsement. Columns are opinions of the writers, not necessarily the opinion of the publisher. Deadline for advertising and announcements is the 20th of the month preceding publication. Display advertising rates are available upon request. © Copyright 2020 • All Rights Reserved

7 8 10 12 13 14 15 16 18 20 21 22 24 26 28 30 34 35

Editor’s Column Cover Story: Radical downsizing Why we need funerals Recipe: Spinach-ham dip bread bowl Ask the Old Bag: Can I change my racist parents? Healthy Geezer: I’m growing man boobs! Picky eater? You could be B vitamin deficient What you need to know about adult vaccines Laughing Matters The making of Peter Parker Boomer Beat Alive & Digging The candidates’ views on senior health issues A face for community radio: KAFM’s “Coach” retires Medicare Open Enrollment Modern Elder Academy Faith: Rebuilding our nation Talking Digital

Fall is here!

Powderhorn Mountain Resort’s aspens display brilliant yellow foliage. Photo by Lauren Berg

On the Cover

Sally and Kim Henry stand in front of their tiny 780-square foot house, which they built just behind their kids’ home in Grand Junction.

36 Common retirement money misconceptions 38 Business Profile: Grand Valley Home Insulation 39 Commemorative Air Force grounded 40 Night Gallery: Horror stories scarier than the pandemic 41 A lump in the mashed potatoes 42 Family projects for pandemic times 44 Mesa County 44 Calendar 46 Clubs & Activities 48 Beacon Bits 49 Question of the Month 50 Support Groups 52 Montrose & Delta Counties 52 Calendar 54 Clubs & Activities 55 Question of the Month 56 Beacon Bits 58 Fun & Games 60 Classifieds 62 Stop sharing your Social Security number!

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EDITOR'S COLUMN

Make your voice heard: Cover story elicits emotional outcry from readers

virtual format. After all, I still find drinking beer ast month’s cover story about the isolation and eating pretzels at home very enjoyable. of residents in long-term care facilities really But it’s also our mission to provide you pulled at some heartstrings. We’ve received conwith information on some of the siderable response from readers not-so-fun things—like where our in similar situations, aching to hug candidates stand on health care their loved ones and looking forissues for seniors (page 24) and ward to when visits will go back what to consider when reviewing to the way they were before the your Medicare plans (page 28). pandemic. My heart goes out to all of SPEAKING OF MEDICARE… you. While socially distanced The Era of Isolation Protection from the virus comes at a cost Medicare Open Enrollment is visits in long-term care facilities 24 October 15 through December 7. have resumed, we still need 26 For free, unbiased assistance on solutions for protecting isolated Medicare, contact your local SHIP (Senior loved ones from another deadly effect of the Health Insurance Assistance Project) office. pandemic: loneliness. While these state-trained and certified navigaHow can you make your voice heard? tors won’t be seeing clients in person due to • Convey the urgency of this health crisis COVID-19 (in Mesa County), they are available by writing to your congressmen and state to assist you over the phone. leaders The Voice of Adults 50+

You voted, now find out

in Western Colorado

who won the 2020 BEACON

The challenge of Grandparents raising grandkid s

SEPTEMBER 2020

Volunteer of the Year. Winner

• Write in to the BEACON (email is best: Beacon@PendantPublishing.com)

THE GOOD AND THE UGLY The good news is, even though some things aren’t so great with the world right now, there’s definitely some awesome stuff happening locally. More events are permitted to take place in Mesa County under the Protect Our Neighbors plan. It’s good to see charity golf tournaments, craft fairs and in-person workshops fill our calendar again, with the possibility of larger events to come. I commend organizers for continuing with important events like the Walk to End Alzheimer’s, Senior Law Day and Montrose Oktoberfest (a fundraiser for All Points Transit) in a

announced on page 10!

Caring for your pets during COVID-19

• Mesa County residents can call RSVP SHIP at 243-9839 opt. 1, leave a message, and a counselor will return your call. • Montrose and Delta residents can call Region 10 SHIP office at 765-3132.

GET IN THE BEACON GUIDE The BEACON Guide is our annual resource directory, which is chock full of local, state and national resources for aging well. This comprehensive guide grows every year as our community welcomes businesses, clubs and organizations that help you age a little more gracefully. Planning is underway for the 2021 guides (Mesa County edition / Montrose & Delta edition), which come out in December. Do you know of a club, business or program we should include? Pass along their info by calling 243-8929, or email Beacon@ PendantPublishing.com ■

LETTERS

from our readers RE: “The Cruelty of Quarantine” “Thank you, Melanie, for sharing the very poignant and troubling story about your mother’s final days and the impact of being separated from her. Your story is not unique and it’s beyond troubling to read about how this virus has overtaken common sense and simple humanity. I wonder if in contrast this virus had a predilection for children, would parents put up with forced separation? I think not.” - Karen Seibold “What a beautiful tribute the article was…and an eye-opener for all who read it. It touched my heart! I am passing it on to Governor Polis, Senator Cory Gardner and folks I know who have loved ones in nursing facilities in hopes of getting restrictions lifted. Most, if not all, of these people…would rather take the risk and get five minutes to hug a loved one than live one more year as a ‘prisoner.’ My sincere sympathy to you and your family.” - Rita Kirk “I cried as I read this article, as the same thing is happening to a beautiful friend of mine who is slowly fading away in assisted living— not from aging, but from isolation. I appreciate Melanie’s courage for telling her story, putting into words what I have been feeling for a long time. My prayer is that this article will spur a change in the way our beloved are being ‘protected,’ but are losing their lives to the protection of isolation, which is depression.” - Charlotte Reicks RE: “Grandmothers: a legacy of love and raisin bread” “After my parents parted ways, my grandmother came to help my mother. She spoke next to no English but the outpour of love filled every gap needing it. My grandmother has been gone several decades. I miss her still. For an illiterate person, she had more common sense than most people. And, her empathy for others showed me she was a true angel who walked this earth. Talk about being blessed. I sure was.” - Robert Velasquez WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU!

Cloie Sandlin, Editor

Email: Beacon@PendantPublishing.com Mail: P.O. Box 3895 Grand Junction, CO 81502

WWW.BEACONSENIORNEWS.COM | OCTOBER 2020 | EDITOR'S COLUMN |

Radical downsizing

COVER STORY

Living with less freed up my life

By Sally Henry n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n

Photos courtesy of Sally Henry and Mountain Roots Photography

We’re loving our new home, especially having our son and daughter-in-law literally steps away.

8 | COVER STORY | OCTOBER 2020 |

y husband Kim and I have always been fascinated by the tiny house movement and the idea of living with less, although we never thought we’d actually do it. We’ve moved a number of times in our married life and pared many things down in the process. We left the Grand Valley in 2009 when I went to seminary in Pittsburgh. That’s when we finally got the last of the kids’ stuff out of our house. When you know you’re going to be somewhere for only three years, you definitely think twice about what will come and what will go. With the recent Marie Kondo craze of going through belongings and asking how much joy each item brings, it seems there is a definite movement to simplify and not have too much stuff. Yet the self-storage industry is making $39 billion annually, with 1 in 10 people paying around $90 a month for a 10-by-10-foot unit. We like our stuff and we struggle to let it go! After seminary, I didn’t receive a call to a church right away. So we put all of our belongings in storage and lived with family members for the next nine months. As I was packing our things, I remember going through them and thinking, “How would I feel if I never saw this again?” We had no idea when our income would be restored, and yet, I found that when it came down to it, I could let go of quite a bit. Pictures and some Christmas items from my childhood

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were the things I held dear. That downsizing process has served me well over the years, but probably never more than in 2020.

OUR TINY HOUSE After a few more moves we landed in Montrose, then back to Grand Junction in a home on a cul-de-sac with lots of stairs. I started to feel isolated when I quit driving months earlier due to low vision. Kim was diagnosed with a neurological disorder that made him unsteady and at risk for falling. We needed a smaller, ranch-style home sooner rather than later. Our son and daughter-in-law proposed tearing down the detached garage behind their house and building a smaller home there. That way, we could be close to them—both for help and the occasional ride. We started scouring floor plans online and sorting through every single thing in our home. Our contractor tweaked the floor plan I found. We added a 12-foot ceiling with a single-slope roof, lots of windows and handicapped accessibility. We broke ground in January. A few months later, we ended up with an amazing one-bedroom one-bath home that is 780 square feet. It’s full of natural light, spacious and airy, and even includes some storage. We took advantage of the tall ceilings by creating more storage space above the coat and utility closets and putting as many cabinets as we could pack into the kitchen/living room area. It’s still a small space, but it doesn’t seem like it.

COVER STORY

BRUTAL HONESTY The process of moving felt crazy because the building schedule went much faster than expected. We tore down the garage at the end of January and moved in by April 11, in the middle of the pandemic. I spent hours going through boxes of seminary papers, old doilies and small quilts that my mother and grandmother had made (but had mainly been packed away). I sorted everything into three piles: keep, garage sale or ask the kids. Through all this, I asked myself: • Have we used this in the last year or two? • If I’m truthful, will I use this in the next year? Does the style match how our home is currently decorated? • Is this something I should see if one of the kids would like?

Thinking about how small our space was going to be was also a big motivator for being brutally honest in the process. (Truth be told, we still have stuff that probably needs to go.) But we did it! With the help of family and friends, we were able to move everything in and even have some kitchen cabinets that are still empty…for now. We are loving our new home and especially having the help of our son and daughter-in-law literally just steps away. Certainly, downsizing is an adjustment. It can be really hard, but it’s worth every ounce of effort. Each time we’ve decided to downsize and live with less, we’ve experienced more freedom, more time for fun, less time cleaning and more time with the people we love. ■

EACH TIME WE’VE DECIDED TO DOWNSIZE AND LIVE WITH LESS, WE’VE EXPERIENCED MORE FREEDOM, MORE TIME FOR FUN, LESS TIME CLEANING AND MORE TIME WITH THE PEOPLE WE LOVE.

In four months we ended up with an amazing one-bedroom one-bath home that is 780 square feet. It’s full of natural light, spacious and airy.

13 TIPS

FOR SUCCESSFUL DOWNSIZING • Take photos of your home before you downsize. It’s nice to have a reference of what’s in your current home when looking at what will go in your new space. • Measure your new space. There’s no sense in moving the big stuff if it won’t fit. • Take with you only what will fit your future lifestyle. Don’t save a ton of dishes if you don’t plan to entertain a lot. • Purge things you don’t use regularly. Don’t hold on to things for when you’ll need it. If you don’t use it regularly or can’t find a purpose for it, ditch it. • Use the good stuff now. No need to store it for a special occasion. • Don’t save things for your kids. If they don’t want it now, they won’t want it later. • Let go of the “guilt gifts.” If you have a lot of souvenir glasses, pick your favorites and let go of the rest. Don’t hold on to things because you think you have to. • Purge paperwork. Get rid of tax returns after seven years. Don’t keep bills and statements you can access online. • Label photographs. If you don’t know who’s in the photo, toss it. • Create safe passage for your possessions. Getting rid of items of value or sentiment can be tough, especially if your kids don’t want it. Some seniors are concerned with “safe passage” of their possessions, wanting to ensure the new owners share the same appreciation for them. Research clubs and organizations that might value them as much as you did. • Stop buying more stuff. If you buy something new, let go of something old. • Start slow. Pick a drawer and go from there! • Accept help. When in doubt, get an objective opinion from someone else.

WWW.BEACONSENIORNEWS.COM | OCTOBER 2020 | COVER STORY |

BEACON SENIOR NEWS

Why we need

funerals By Bonnie McCune

heartbreaking finale in a favorite television show left me, as well as the actors, sobbing. A father suffering from the results of a career as a miner slowly drifted from life to death, surrounded by his family. It was particularly poignant to me because I’ve had several good friends tread this path recently. But unlike the people in the program, I was unable to say goodbye to my friends. In every instance, the closest relatives decided to restrict visits. Certainly within their rights, but the reason sometimes was, “I don’t want you to remember her that way.” So I’m left with no memory of taking leave at all. Funerals and memorial services frequently seem to be dropped by the wayside. In recent days, it’s partly due to pandemic worries, and fears of mass gatherings. Without them, however, there’s no chance to reminisce with others who knew the friend. No swapping of tales good or bad, no exchange of comfort. Just a blank where my friends used to be.

I’m not religious, and these deceased friends weren’t so inclined either. Yet I remember going to a number of services—formal or informal—to say a mental farewell to loved ones. More than that, I went to offer support to those they’ve left behind, create an emotional finale to a friendship, and to ease my own grief. My dad didn’t want a service, so I created a little ceremony in my home for my kids, husband and myself, complete with matzos (my father was a non-practicing Jew) and a few memories. I needed that. Funerals and memorials have almost nothing to do with the deceased but everything to do with the survivors. As humans, we must have rituals of some sort in order to move on or mark significant occurrences in our lives. Perhaps even

10 | OCTOBER 2020 |

more important, we require ways to judge, evaluate and measure. If we’re never poor, how do we value wealth? If we never know hate, how do we understand love? If we’re

never young, how can we appreciate growing old? Without acknowledgment of the process of dying, where’s our growth in living? In our contemporary era, every-

FUNERALS AND MEMORIALS HAVE ALMOST NOTHING TO DO WITH THE DECEASED BUT EVERYTHING TO DO WITH THE SURVIVORS.

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body’s supposed to be happy all the time. Books, speeches, health professionals and friends give us advice on how to achieve this exalted state. But by eliminating farewell visits to the dying, along with funerals and memorials, we’re robbing ourselves and our nearest and dearest of an important process. The diabetic person who primarily gorges on sugar isn’t well. Isn’t this similarly true if we avoid and ignore sad times, stuffing our emotions on a diet of glee? My husband and I have had some end-of-life conversations. He believes in leaving the decision about disposing of remains to survivors. “I won’t be around,” he said. But you can bet your bottom dollar if my husband is first to go, I’ll have some sort of observance, some

BEACON SENIOR NEWS

OF GRAND JUNCTION

ed for Design ults Ad Active 2+) 6 s (Age DAY! O T CALL

It’s Time to Start Singing a New Tune! I WAS UNABLE TO SAY GOODBYE TO MY FRIENDS. IN EVERY INSTANCE, THE CLOSEST RELATIVES DECIDED TO RESTRICT VISITS. CERTAINLY WITHIN THEIR RIGHTS, BUT THE REASON SOMETIMES WAS, “I DON’T WANT YOU TO REMEMBER HER THAT WAY.” SO I’M LEFT WITH NO MEMORY OF TAKING LEAVE AT ALL. acknowledgment that this person existed, made a difference and will be remembered. I remember watching President Kennedy’s funeral on TV. His assassination wasn’t real to me until then. Unfortunately, this is now a pattern for me. Death, disbelief, some sort of ritual, reality and then belief. Over and over. The Colum-

bine school victims, 9/11, the dead Santa Fe students, Sandy Hook, victims of floods, fires, famine and mankind’s evil. I must mourn death and evil to survive them. I need these aids, and so do many people. Nirvana and paradise are reserved for those who have completed their earthly existence, not for us now. ■

FIND SUPPORT DURING TIMES OF GRIEF • Compassionate Friends, a support group for parents, grandparents and siblings, meets from 7-8:30 p.m. on the first Tuesday of the month at Unity Church in Grand Junction. Call 434-3822. • GriefShare, a nondenominational Christ-based support group for those mourning the death of a loved one, meets at Clifton Christian Church on Mondays from 6:30-8:30 p.m. Call 628-1453. • Mending Hearts, a grief support group for adults, meets from 2-3:30 p.m. on Thursdays. Call 257-2390 for location.

Informational Seminar - RSVP Required

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Thursday | Oct. 29th | 3:30pm

WHY THE VILLAGE COOPERATIVE? • Best value in Grand Junction—Homes are selling quickly so don’t wait! • Home ownership with no maintenance & an annual appreciation • Reserve now to lock-in the best price & choose home interior finishes Now you can have more time and freedom to do as you please. That’s because the Village Cooperative of Grand Junction is a community for active adults (62+)—working or retired—who want home ownership and no maintenance all in a convenient location at an excellent value! To learn more, join us for our upcoming free informational seminar. Note: Due to limited/safe seating, we ask that you RSVP for this event.

Call Lisa at (970) 628-3628 to learn more about your best home ownership option in Grand Junction!

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OF GRAND JUNCTION

WWW.BEACONSENIORNEWS.COM | OCTOBER 2020 |

RECIPES

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Spinach-Ham Dip Bread Bowl Recipe courtesy of www.Culinary.net

M TH HU URRSSDAY DAYUUNNTTI LI L6 6P M PM MO ON NDAY DAY -- T

Early DinE

Ingredients: 2

cups ricotta cheese

cup sour cream

package (10 ounces) frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed dry

1/4 pound ham, cubed 3/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

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ORIGINAL ROCKS

orange juice and Our sour, original margaritas agavetequilas nectar. and have three are specially blended with our signature sweet and sour, orange juice and agave nectar.

18 oz.

round bread loaf (16 ounces), unsliced

Heat oven to 350º F. In medium bowl, blend ricotta cheese and sour cream until smooth. Add spinach, ham, Parmesan cheese and green onions; mix until blended.

Take bread removed from inside bread bowl and cut into dippingsized chunks.

Our original margaritas

ORIGINAL have three tequilas and are specially blended with ROCKS our signature sweet and

Cut 1-2-inch diameter circle out of top of bread loaf. Reserve top. Remove bread inside loaf, leaving about 1 inch along sides. Pour cheese mixture into bread bowl. Replace top. Cover bread loaf in aluminum foil and bake 60 minutes, or until warmed through.

nts

green onions, thinly sliced

Directions:

C HO O SE F ROM

ee 7 Days A W

Call ahead seating 243-5700 2870 North Avenue

12 | RECIPES | OCTOBER 2020 |

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Remove bread from aluminum foil and place on platter. Scatter bread chunks around bread bowl to use for dunking in cheese sauce. ■

ASK THE OLD BAG

Can I change my racist parents?

INDEPENDENT LIVING | ASSISTED LIVING | MEMORY CARE

Dear Old Bag: With all the protests regarding racism in our country, I’ve made a discovery: My parents are racist! I love them and they didn’t raise us to be racist, but they are! I’m a widow and have been seeing a really nice black man. Before introducing him to the folks, I tested the water and asked them a few questions like, “How do you feel about mixed marriages between black and whites?” My dad went on for an hour about why that’s not a good idea. I asked, “What happened to what you taught us that all are created equal?” Dad replied that they’re equal, but separate. Can you change people you love who are in their 70s? Signed, Help! Dear Help: The short answer: You can’t change them! The longer answer is that three things need to happen for a person to change: 1) They have to realize they have a problem. 2) They have to want to change. 3) They have to do the work to change themselves. It doesn’t sound as if they know they have a problem! I’d tell them about this nice guy you’ve been dating. Let them know you’d like them to meet and want to be sure they’ll be cordial. Sometimes, when forced to look at themselves and how much they love their daughter, people give up their unrealized prejudices and move ahead. Or, sometimes it goes badly and then you’ll have to make a choice. OB Dear Old Bag: My mother hounds me about my overweight daughter. She says, “It’s your fault she is fat. You need to put her on a diet.” We’ve been to counseling with her and are following her counselor’s advice. My daughter doesn’t want anyone to know that she is getting counseling for her weight. Our job is to make her daughter feel good about herself, and I’m afraid Mom will say something to her and she will feel ashamed, which is not what we want! I’d like to tell Mom to keep her mouth shut, but I know you must have a kinder way. Signed, CJ Dear CJ: I’m an advocate of people minding their own business. I have a rule that says, “Never give advice to your adult children unless they ask for it, and then only very carefully!” Evidently, your mom does not subscribe to that philosophy. You have to tell her, “We have a very wellthought-out plan made with her doctor, and we are following that. I would appreciate it if you’d help us make our daughter feel good about herself the way she is.” No guarantees. I hope it works! OB Dear Old Bag: My dad lives with us and he has very irritating habits. I love him and get so mad at myself for losing patience with him. But he doesn’t like to shower and put on clean clothes. He says his clothes are not dirty and he isn’t either. How do I cope with this? Out of Patience Dear Patience: When the older generation lives with the younger, they’re bound to get on each other’s nerves. That’s why when readers ask about parents living with them, I usually say it often doesn’t work well. You have to pick your battles. When my grandfather lived with us, my mom would steal his clothes while he was sleeping and put out the clean clothes, which he couldn’t put on until he showered! But old people don’t sweat as much, and most wash off every day at the sink, so they really don’t have to change clothes or shower often. OB ■

Trust is earned Western Colorado has turned to Hilltop for compassionate care for over 70 years. Our award-winning senior living communities offer: n Luxurious apartments with views, spacious floorplans, and paid utilities n Restaurant-style dining n Beautiful outdoor spaces and walking trails n Social activities and trips

n 24-hour emergency response system n Flexible care options to meet your current and future needs n Temporary assisted stays n Customized wellness program helps you “Stay Fit for Life!”

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ASK THE OLD BAG

ADVICE COLUMN FOR THE OVER 50 CROWD BY GAYLE LAGMAN-CRESWICK

Send your questions to the Old Bag in care of the BEACON, or email her directly at lagmancreswick@gmail.com

When you choose Hilltop Senior Living Communities, your money stays right here in our community, supporting a nonprofit that has provided Western Colorado with compassionate and comprehensive human services for over 70 years.

WWW.BEACONSENIORNEWS.COM | OCTOBER 2020 | ASK THE OLD BAG |

HEALTHY GEEZER

Help! I’m growing man boobs!

“M

y breasts have become large and I’m embarrassed. What can I do?” This question came from a man in his 60s. Actually, breast enlargement in males is common, as well as the embarrassment that comes with it. About 30 percent of older men have this condition, which can be caused by hormonal changes or simple weight gain. When the usual balance of estrogen and testosterone shifts, he can get “gynecomastia,” which is derived from the Greek words meaning “woman” and “breast.” Estrogen controls female traits, including the growth of breasts. Testosterone dictates male traits, such as muscle mass and body hair. Males normally produce small quantities of estrogen to regulate bone density, sperm production and mood. Natural hormonal changes

that lead to gynecomastia also occur during infancy and adolescence. Gynecomastia can be caused by a health problem such as liver, kidney or thyroid diseases. This condition can also result from drinking alcohol or taking steroids, marijuana, amphetamines and heroin. There are medications that can cause gynecomastia, too. These include anti-androgens, such as finasteride, that are used to treat prostate cancer; AIDS medications such as efavirenz or didanosine; anti-anxiety medications like Valium; tricyclic antidepressants; antibiotics; ulcer medications such as cimetidine; chemotherapy drugs; and heart medications such as digitalis and calcium channel blockers. Some additional symptoms of gynecomastia include tenderness, swelling and nipple discharge. If you have enlarged breasts, see your

doctor. Enlarged breasts can be a symptom of breast cancer or a testicular tumor. You could also be suffering from “pseudo-gynecomastia,” which occurs when a male’s enlarged breasts are due to a lot of chest fat. You can tell the difference between false gynecomastia and the real thing by examining the breasts. In an exam, a health care professional spreads a thumb and forefinger and places them—opposing each other—on the circumference of the breast. The fingers are then squeezed gently toward the nipple. Gynecomastia is diagnosed if there

HEALTHY GEEZER BY FRED CICETTI Send your general health questions to the Healthy Geezer in care of the BEACON, or email him directly at fred@healthygeezer.com

COVID-19: Visiting a loved one Transitioning to the Protect Our Neighbors phase of reopening means our community is continuing on the path forward, and there are fewer restrictions in place. But, for older adults and people with underlying health conditions, precautions are still essential to avoid becoming ill with COVID-19. Limited in-person visitation is now allowed at long-term care and skilled nursing facilities, but if you plan to see a friend or loved one, knowing what to expect can help make the visit as smooth and safe as possible for everyone. If you would like to visit, first call ahead to verify it is allowed. Ask about the facility's guidelines for visitors. When you arrive, an at-the-door symptom check will be completed. You can also expect to wear a facial covering, and see others doing the same. Facilities are required to take a number of steps to help prevent and control outbreaks. They continue to take careful measures to help keep everyone safe while encouraging important connections between residents and their guests.More information about COVID-19 can be found by visiting www.health.mesacounty.us SUPPORT SANDIO'S FOOD DRIVE

14 | HEALTH & WELLNESS | OCTOBER 2020 |

is enlarged glandular tissue that feels like a rubbery disk. Often, this tissue can be moved around. Gynecomastia is often treated with drugs. Sometimes, enlarged breasts are reduced surgically. Medications used to treat breast cancer and other conditions may be helpful for some men with gynecomastia. These drugs include anti-estrogen medications such as raloxifene and tamoxifen. Two types of surgery are used to treat gynecomastia: liposuction and mastectomy. Liposuction removes breast fat, but not the breast gland tissue. Mastectomy removes the breast gland tissue. ■

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DEAR PHARMACIST

Picky eater? You could be B vitamin deficient

hen you think of B complex, you probably think of it as just one B vitamin. But “B complex” refers to a group of B vitamins consisting of B1, B2, B3, B6 and others. The B complex dietary supplement is intended to fill a nutrient gap that some people develop from malnutrition. While this is fine, most people can eat their way to a better B status. The concerns about B vitamin deficiency are frequently overlooked by the most caring practitioners. The mindset in today’s health care system is to medicate you, so doctors often prescribe a drug for a symptom even if that symptom stems from a nutrient deficiency! But that’s why you have me to help identify nutrient depletion and proper ways of restoration. Some signs and symptoms of B deficiency include fatigue, anemia, diarrhea, hypothyroidism, burning mouth, nerve pain, memory issues, depression, vision or hearing difficulty, hair loss, confusion, agitation and numbness. One factor that leads to B vitamin deficiency is being a fussy eater. There’s a new case study published in the Annals of Internal Medicine about a boy who only ate fries, white bread, potato chips, slices of ham and sometimes sausage. According to the study, the diet impacted his hearing and vision as a teenager. His B12 deficiency was so profound, injections of it couldn’t save his sight. As adults, B deficiencies could be even more detrimental due to the

oxidative damage that occurs from drinking alcohol, smoking and taking medicines that deplete B vitamins. Medications that are known to lower B vitamins include oral contraceptives, blood pressure pills, Metformin, antibiotics and acid blockers. The first sign of B12 deficiency could appear in the toilet as diarrhea or loose stools. If you suddenly have this problem and it’s not related to food poisoning or antibiotic use, consider a B vitamin deficiency. A balanced diet will give you the full range of B vitamins: eggs, vegetables, salad, fruits, chicken, seafood, red meat, dairy and nuts. If, for some reason, you have a limited diet and you decide to supplement, buy a B complex that offers the B nutrients in their body-ready, biologically active form. For example, methylfolate, not folic acid, and pyridoxal phosphate, not pyridoxine. Most people don’t realize that some of the most important B vitamins are manufactured in the GI tract by our own microflora, and probiotics help restore healthy microflora. A deficiency in biotin, B12 and other Bs could indicate that you’ve stripped your gut of healthy probiotics. This contributes to diarrhea or, for some, constipation alternating with diarrhea. If you have pins/needles or neuropathy, or you take the medication Metformin, then B vitamins are essential for you. ■

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By Kimberly Blaker

hen it comes to health, prevention is the best medicine. Many avoidable diseases can cause extensive damage to our health, especially as we age or when combined with other medical conditions or a weakened immune system. While many preventable illnesses are treatable, they can nonetheless result in lasting complications. Therefore, getting vaccinated against certain diseases is vital to prevent these illnesses from taking hold in our bodies. We all know vaccinations are standard during childhood, but adults need immunizations, too. As we age, adults require different protections or may need booster shots to ensure vaccines received in the past remain effective.

HOW DO VACCINES WORK? The goal of vaccinations is to reduce your chance of infection by developing immunity through your body’s natural defense system. When bacteria or viruses get into your body, they reproduce and attack your system. Your body’s immune system has various approaches to fight off this infection. For example, white blood cells can learn how to protect your body from particular germs that you’ve

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AS WE AGE, ADULTS REQUIRE DIFFERENT PROTECTIONS OR MAY NEED BOOSTER SHOTS TO ENSURE VACCINES RECEIVED IN THE PAST REMAIN EFFECTIVE. been vaccinated against. Vaccines use a small amount of a certain virus or bacteria and introduce it into your system. The antibodies then learn how to fight off the germs in the event you encounter them in a larger quantity. For this reason, you may have a slight reaction to the vaccine—such as a fever—while your body works to fight it. Still, this reaction is minor compared to the complications of getting a preventable disease. There are many types of vaccines, and each can interact with your body differently. Some vaccines require multiple doses or a booster later on to rebuild your immunity levels. Some individuals are unable to get certain vaccines or have weakened immune systems that make them more vulnerable to infection. Herd immunity can protect these at-risk populations, including young

HEALTH & WELLNESS children, older adults and individuals with certain health conditions. Herd immunity refers to a large percent of the population being immune to a disease, reducing the risk of the particular bacteria or virus passing from person to person.

WHAT VACCINES DO OLDER ADULTS NEED? Vaccines recommended in adulthood either offer yearly protection, are recommended for specific life or health situations, or are boosters to keep your childhood vaccinations working effectively. Every individual has different medical needs, but common adult immunization recommendations include: • Influenza: The flu shot is recommended annually for every person over the age of six months, especially for those at higher risk due to a weakened immune system, medical conditions or close contact with those at risk for the flu. • Tetanus, Diphtheria, Pertussis (Tdap): The initial Tdap shot is currently given once, usually around the age of 11 or 12. Boosters are encouraged every 10 years after that, especially if you come in contact with pregnant women or young infants. • Measles, Mumps, Rubella (MMR): If you were born before 1957, you’re likely immune from MMR. If you were born after 1957 and don’t have evidence of immunity, this vaccination is recommended, especially if you travel internationally. However, it’s not advised for those with a weakened immune system. • Recombinant Zoster (RZV): Currently, the Zoster vaccine is the preferred shot to prevent shingles. It’s especially suggested for those 50 or older since the risk and the likelihood of complications from shingles increases with age. Even if you’ve had shingles, you can get it again.

• Pneumococcal Polysaccharide (PPSV23): This vaccine helps prevent pneumococcal diseases like meningitis and bloodstream infections. It’s recommended for everyone 65 and older and for younger individuals with certain health conditions. • Pneumococcal Conjugate (PCV13): This immunization also works to prevent pneumococcal disease and pneumonia for those with conditions that weaken their immune system. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) offers a vaccine assessment to help you determine which vaccines you may need based on your own personal factors such as age or health conditions. The best way to make sure you are up to date on immunizations is to discuss your medical history and needs with your doctor. Take the CDC's Adult Vaccine Assessment at www.2.cdc. gov/nip/adultimmsched ■

GET YOUR FLU SHOT

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Mesa County Public Health is open Monday through Thursday from 8 a.m.-5:30 p.m. and on Fridays from 8 a.m. to noon. Call 248-6900 for appointments. See a list of Montrose providers at www.montrosecounty. net/116/immunizations or call 252-7079.

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Immunizations are available by appointment at Delta County Public Health, Monday through Thursday. Call 874-2165. Delta County Memorial Hospital offers a drive-thru flu shot clinc on October 3 from 8 a.m. to noon. Call 875-2165 for details.

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LAUGHING MATTERS

LAUGHING MATTERS DYING RICH Submitted by Sharon Cannella Doug, who lived all his life in the Florida Keys, is on his deathbed and knows the end is near. His nurse, his wife, his daughter and two sons are with him. He asks for two witnesses to be present with a camcorder in place to record his last wishes. When all is ready, he begins to speak: “My son, I want you to take the Ocean Reef houses.” “My daughter, Sybil, you take the apartments between mile markers 100 and Tavernier.” “My son, Jamie, I want you to take the offices over in the Marathon Government Center.” “Sarah, my dear wife, please take all the residential buildings on the bay side on Blackwater Sound.” The nurse and witnesses are blown away, as they did not realize his extensive holdings. As Doug

slips away, the nurse says, “Mrs. Pender, your husband must have been such a hard-working man to have accumulated all this property.” The wife replies, “The moron has a paper route.”

Dear alcohol: We had a deal that you would make me prettier, funnier and a better dancer. I saw the video. We need to talk.

stimulating the economy.

ECONOMIC STIMULUS ADVICE

Below is some helpful advice on how to best help the U.S. economy with your stimulus check:

Submitted by Stacey Maddox

Q: Isn’t that stimulating the economy of China? A: Shut up.

Submitted by Jan Weeks

Sometime this year, we taxpayers will likely receive another economic stimulus. It’s a very exciting program, which I’ll explain in a Q&A format:

Does anyone know which page of the Bible explains how to turn water into wine? Asking for a friend.

Q: What is an economic stimulus? A: It is money that the federal government will send to taxpayers.

Lord, give me coffee to change the things I can change and wine to accept the things I can’t.

Q: Where will the government get this money? A: From taxpayers.

• If you purchase fruits and vegetables, it will go to Mexico, Honduras and Guatemala.

People who wonder whether the glass is half empty or half full miss the point. The glass is refillable.

Q: Is the government simply giving me back my own money then? A: No, only a smidgen of it.

• If you buy an efficient car, it will go to Japan or Korea.

FOR THE LOVE OF WINE

I’ve got salad for dinner. Actually, fruit salad. Well, mostly grapes. Okay, all grapes. Fermented grapes. I’ve got wine for dinner. Of course size matters! No one wants a small glass of wine!

Q: What is the purpose of this payment? A: The plan is for you to use the money to purchase an HD television, a new iPad or a new SUV, thus

Prescott Write-In-Prescott.com JOBS • PUBLIC SAFETY 18 | LAUGHING MATTERS | OCTOBER 2020 |

• If you spend it on gasoline, the money will go to the Arabs. • If you purchase a computer, it goes to India, Taiwan or China.

• If you purchase useless stuff, it goes to Taiwan. • If you pay your credit card off or buy stock, it will go to management bonuses hidden offshore. Instead, keep the money in

Republican County Commissioner

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• If you spend the stimulus money at Walmart, the money will go to China or Sri Lanka.

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LAUGHING MATTERS America by spending it at a yard sale, going to a ball game, getting a prostitute, beer or tattoos (these are the only American businesses still operating in the U.S.) Conclusion: Go to a ballgame with a tattooed prostitute that you met at a yard sale and drink beer all day. No need to thank me. I’m just glad I could be of help.

OUTDOOR WOMAN Submitted by Susan Capps During her regular checkup, a doctor asked a retired woman about her physical activity level. She said she spent three days a week outdoors. “Yesterday afternoon was typical,” she said. “I took a five-hour walk about seven miles through some pretty rough terrain. I waded along the edge of a lake, and pushed my way through two miles of brambles. I got sand in my shoes and in my eyes. I barely avoided stepping on a snake. I climbed several rocky hills, and I went to the bathroom behind some big trees. I ran away from an irate mother bear and then from an angry bull elk. The mental stress of it all left me shattered, so at the end, I drank a scotch and three glasses of wine.” Amazed, the doctor said, “Wow, you are one heck of an outdoor woman.” “No,” the woman replied. “I’m just a really, really bad golfer.”

CREATION OF THE MIDWEST Submitted by Gregory Weston On the sixth day, God turned to the archangel, Gabriel, and said, “To-

day, I am going to create an area of land called the Midwest. It will be a land of outstanding natural beauty. It will have tall hills and rolling plains full of game and eagles, beautiful sparkling lakes bountiful with bass and streams full of trout, forests full of deer and turkeys and valleys with fertile soil and an abundance of nutrients to grow things. I will make the land rich in resources so its inhabitants will prosper. I will call these inhabitants Midwesterners and they will be known as the friendliest people on Earth.” “But Lord,” Gabriel said. “Don’t you think you are being too generous to those Midwesterners?” “Not really,” God replied. “Just wait and see the winters I’m going to give them.”

. . . e r e H n e e Be S is our Laughing Matters tion c e s e it r o v a F 1 # ’ s reader in the BEACON To advertise call

243-8829 “Look for the helpers”

BLOND JOKES

–Mr. Rogers

Submitted by Roy Whittaker A friend told a blond, “Christmas is on a Friday this year.” The blond replied, “Let’s hope it’s not the 13th.” Two blond men find three grenades and decide to take them to a police station. One asked, “What if one explodes before we get there?” The other replied, “We’ll lie and say we only found two.” A woman called her blonde neighbor, saying, “Close your curtains the next time you and your wife are having sex. The whole street was watching and laughing at you yesterday.” The blond man replied, “Well, joke’s on all of you because I wasn’t even home yesterday.” ■

s U e k a M

Laugh !

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BEACON SENIOR NEWS

The making of Peter Parker How Stan Lee’s unlikely teenage hero became a pop icon By Randal C. Hill

Can CompassMedical Medical Center helphelp with?with? What What Can Compass Center t was the late 1950s, and comic Spinal Decompression Osteoarthritis Spinal Decompression Neck and Back Pain Neck and Back Pain Sciatica Sciatica Neuropathy Neuropathy Joint Pain/Knee Pain Joint Pain/Knee Weight LossPain

Osteoarthritis book sales were stagnating. So Headaches Headaches was the enthusiasm of Marvel Fibromyalgia Fibromyalgia Comics creator Stan Lee, following Degenerative Disc Disease Degenerative Disc Disease two decades in his high-pressure, Automobile Accidents Automobile Accidents often-chaotic world of work. He

later recalled to Rolling Stone, “I got Compass Medical Center variety of services Compass Medical Centeroffers offers aavariety of services to help! to help! to thinking, why not try something different? Something I’d like to read. Regenerative Medicine Rehabilitation Regenerative Medicine Rehabilitation No more cardboard characters and Joint Injections Medical Services Joint Injections Medical Services Spinal Decompression Chiropractic predictable stories where the hero Spinal Decompression Chiropractic Weight Loss Massage is 100 percent good and always Weight Loss Massage wins, and the bad guy is 100 percent who have been toldmedicine they need theraMedical Centerisis CompassCompass Medical Center Regenerative bad and doomed to lose…” joint replacement surgery. for people to providing access devoted devoted to providing access py is a great option Lee eventually came up with a It can potentially regenerate to excellent care in the Grand and excellent care to the who have been told they need unique idea—a fairy tale for the your joint and help you avoid Valley. We are a Physical and Grand Valley. We are a joint replacement surgery. modern teenager. surgery. Regenerative Medicine Clinic, Physicaloffering and Regenerative It can potentially regenerate the most advanced “My formula became: Let’s Medicine Clinic, offering the your and help you avoid We usejoint umbilical cord and birth holistic health care. suspend disbelief for a moment most advanced holistic tissue donated from jointproducts replacement surgery. and accept that a character can fly health care. carefully screened In addition to chiropractic, through the air, climb on walls or We use ana umbilical cord mothers from highly decompression and Regenerative medicine will tissue /laboratory blood product from have the strength of 50 men. What respected that rehabilitation services, help people suffering from a highly respected lab that would his life be like if he lived in regenerative medicine helps capture the greatest a varietypeople of inflammatory captures all the greatest suffering from a regenerative properties that today’s world?” and degenerative conditions, variety of inflammatory and would otherwise beproperties discarded. of thisIn August 1962, Lee introduced regenerative in addition to Chiropractic, degenerative conditions. The proprietarydiscarded method of tissue. otherwise Spider-Man to the world, a charDecompression and Rehabiliisolating growth factors, cells, Their proprietary method acter supposedly inspired both by ALTERNATIVE TO extracellular matrix and a tation services. of isolating growth factors, JOINT REPLACEMENT Lee having watched a spider crawl variety of other healing cells and stem cells gives Last year inTO the US, there ALTERNATIVE JOINT up a wall, as well as the memory of properties, give the patient the thepossible patient the from bestapossible were 3.5 million total joint REPLACEMENT best benefits one of his favorite childhood comic replacements and many benefits from a regenerative Regenerative Medicine product. Last year in the US, there books, “The Spider, Master of Men.” of other surgeries. medicine product. The use of The use of Regenerative were 3.5millions million totaljoint joint Spider-Man is a timid, nerdy, In increasing numbers, people Medicine has shown this to stem cells and growth factors replacements and many milgenius-level teenager named Peter are seeking non-surgical be oneshown of the best therapeutic has them to be one of lions of other joint surgeries. alternatives to joint surgery. Parker. As you well know, a bite methods to help aid in tissue methods the best therapeutic In increasing numbers, people Regenerative medicine therapy healing and repair. to help aid in tissue healing from a radioactive spider resultare seeking non-surgical is a great option for people ed in numerous mutations in his alternatives to joint surgery. and repair. body, including the proportionate strength and agility of the arachnid as well as a “spider sense” that warns him of nearby danger. His new body has the agility, Let us help you express your full health potential! balance and bodily coordination 2478 Patterson Rd Suite 17 Grand Junction, CO 81505 Let us help you express your full health potential! beyond that of the finest human ath985-4506 2478www.compassmedicalco.com Patterson Rd Suite 17 Grand Junction letes. But Parker himself still remains a teenager with everyday problems that include allergy attacks, money www.compassmedicalco.com woes, acne issues, dandruff flakes

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and striking out with girls. Parker adopts a red-and-blue costume as well as the name Spider-Man in order to conceal his true identity. He also creates and wears a pair of wrist-worn “web shooters” to approximate a spider’s web-spinning abilities, forming sticky ropes of webbing. Parker spins such webs when needing to capture bad guys, some of whom became the world’s most notorious comic-book criminals: Vulture, Doctor Octopus, Scorpion, Shocker the Lizard, Venom and Carnage, to name a few. Because comic book kids had previously been portrayed as mere sidekicks to larger-than-life protagonists, Parker’s character was quickly embraced by teenage readers. Spider-Man soared to unimagined heights when given his own series in March 1963. Eventually, Lee’s character surpassed even Superman in sales, reigning as the world’s largest-selling comic periodical for several years. When Lee first described the idea to his publisher, Martin Goodman, Goodman reportedly sneered, saying “Yech! Who wants to read about spiders? People hate spiders! I can’t see that as a name for a hero or a series at all!” Perhaps he couldn’t, but loyal and enthusiastic Stan Lee fans certainly could. ■

BOOMER BEAT

Looking for an easy way to switch up retirement? Ditch the gender roles!

hether it’s a result of having extra time on our hands, boredom after doing the same chores for years, or lessons from previous marriages, many Boomer couples are choosing to swap household roles in retirement. Growing up, we Boomers saw household responsibilities fall to Mom or Dad based on their gender, whereas today, such obligations are up for grabs. Cooperation is encouraged, and responsibilities are often divvied up to the individuals best suited for the job. This flexibility makes for happier and healthier relationships. For my husband Dan and me, our roles around the house have never aligned with what’s considered “normal.” For one, I find mowing the yard meditative, and Dan did all the cooking until a few years ago when he admitted to being burned out and accepted my help. Where some couples find it romantic to cook together, we stand by the “one person in the kitchen at a time” rule to avoid a disastrous collision. But for some couples, sticking with more traditional roles works just fine. At Barb and Bill Johnson’s house, she takes care of the inside while he takes care of the outside. She hangs on to bathroom duty so they stay up to her standards but does ask for the occasional assistance with vacuuming. Dan and I also follow tradition with a few roles that we’re happy

NOT LONG AGO, HUSBANDS WERE MORE LIKELY TO BE IN CHARGE OF MANAGING THE HOUSEHOLD BUDGET. TODAY, IT’S A TOSSUP, WITH WOMEN TAKING OVER BALANCING THE BOOKS IN MOST CASES. to let the other take care of. Home and car repairs fall under Dan’s to-do list, and because he’s color blind, I’m happy to shop for clothes and decorate our home. However, not long ago, husbands were more likely to be in charge of managing the household budget. Today, it’s a tossup, with women taking over balancing the books in most cases. Barb does, since Bill believes a McDonald’s BigMac should still cost 59 cents. Dan Baumbach said he’s taken over doing his own laundry after many frustrating years of single socks going missing. (Kudos to his wife, Linda, for intentionally tossing the occasional sock.) I even have several women friends who’ve shaken up traditional roles after retiring by rewarding themselves with a house cleaner, allowing for more time to play and volunteer. You go, girls! ■

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ALIVE & DIGGING

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n spring, we watch leaf buds form on the bare branches of trees. Throughout the season, the tree pulls up water and nutrients—trace minerals—from deep down in the soil, through its roots, and delivers those nutrients to the leaves so that they can produce sugar sap. Through this exchange, a tree nourishes itself. This is just a tiny snapshot of the miracle happening inside every tree. There’s also photosynthesis, which is when leaves catch the sun’s rays like solar panels, and transpiration, which is when the water evaporating off of the leaves helps the tree pull water up through its trunk. There’s also annual growth of new layers of wood and bark. In a single tree, nature performs an orchestra of magic. But spring and summer don’t contain the whole show.

ACT TWO Fall and winter bring the second act—when trees return all those nutrients to the ground, where they decay, transform and prepare to be taken up again to facilitate life. Full of carbon, fallen leaves are food for the critters below ground. Earthworms and microbes rely on organic material like dead leaves for nourishment so they can do their part to create the nutrient-rich topsoil our garden plants thrive on. Leaves help lighten heavy soils, enhancing their structure and creating space for life to thrive. Leaves also act like a warm sweater during winter, insulating bare ground and tender plants from the cold. The more we can support a continuous, full-circle garden ecosystem, the more life we can facilitate in our gardens. Leaves and all organic matter (like grass clippings

IN A SINGLE TREE, NATURE PERFORMS AN ORCHESTRA OF MAGIC. BUT SPRING AND SUMMER DON’T CONTAIN THE WHOLE SHOW.

ALIVE & DIGGING and plant stalks) play a central role in the decay cycle, setting the stage for vibrant new growth in spring.

WHAT TO DO WITH LEAVES Leaves make fantastic mulch. Use them to mulch your garden beds or bare grounds in your yard. You can also experiment with composting. Layer your leaves with a nitrogen source, like manure or bone meal. Create a ratio of five parts leaves (carbon) to one part nitrogen. Make a layered pile and keep it moist. If you turn the heap each month, you’ll have a pile of great compost come spring. If you have no use for leaves or compost or just simply aren’t interested in the work, there are many great ways to gift your leaves to ensure they continue along in the cycle of life. Give them to a neighbor to use as mulch or to line their chicken coops. Try reaching out to a local farm or gardening group to see if you can make someone’s day.

Mesa and Montrose counties offer a variety of recycling (composting) programs. Grand Junction and Palisade offer leaf pick-ups for residents within city limits. In Grand Junction, leaves are transported to the Mesa County Organic Materials Composting Facility to be turned into compost. Palisade’s program picks up leaves and takes them directly to local farmers and home gardeners who want to use leaves for mulch. Montrose citizens can drop off grass clippings and leaves at the Montrose City Public Works facility free of charge. These materials are sent to a compost facility and then into gardens. Excited to go even further? Be an inspiration to others by accepting leaves into your garden. Together, we can exchange resources to build a garden ecosystem that mimics nature, feeds our soils and facilitates life. The tastier produce that follows is a bonus we’re happy to receive. ■

LEAF PICKUP STARTS THIS MONTH!

Grand Junction rake out dates can be found at www.gjcity.org/residents/ street-systems/leaf-removal-program or call 244-1575. You can also drop leaves off at Mesa County Compost Facility year-round. Palisade rake out dates can be found at www.townofpalisade.org/departments/ public-works or by calling 464-5602 Montrose citizens can drop off grass clippings and leaves at the Montrose City Public Works facility, 1221 6450 Road. Call 240-1480 for details. In Delta, call the public works department at 874-7903 for take out dates.

ALIVE & DIGGING BY PAIGE SLAUGHTER Send your questions to Paige in care of the BEACON, or email her directly at paige@fruitionstudio.com

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BEACON SENIOR NEWS

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The candidates’ views on senior health issues By Alan M. Schlein

ajor-party presidential candidates Trump and Biden have dramatically different visions for the future on health care issues— an important topic for seniors.

OVERTURNING OBAMACARE Trump has been relentless in his determination to undo his predecessor’s health care plan. Failing to legislatively turn around the Affordable Care Act (ACA) in Congress, Trump has turned to other tools to undermine the sweeping health care law also known as Obamacare. He’s repeatedly tried to gut the law and eliminate parts of it both through executive actions and the courts. Trump’s Justice Department is backing a lawsuit brought by several Republican-led states seeking to overturn the entire ACA law, which the U.S. Supreme Court is expected to hear either later this year or in 2021. If Trump is successful in persuading the court to overturn Obamacare, it’s unclear what, if any, protection an executive order would offer in its place. Trump’s Republican Congress passed the 2017 tax bill eliminating the ACA’s individual mandate, which required most people to either maintain insurance or face a penalty. To date, this is the administration’s single biggest achievement on health care policy, though it resulted in increased premiums. Trump has used his executive power to boost “skinny” short-term plans. These are exempt from the

ACA’s requirement to cover essential benefits (like prescription drugs) and do not guarantee coverage for people with preexisting conditions. While Trump touts the affordability of the health plans, Democrats deride them as “junk” plans because they don’t provide the same level of benefits or protections. Preexisting medical conditions directly affect about 64 million seniors. Recently, Biden suggested that people exposed to COVID-19 might develop long-term illnesses that insurance companies could label as preexisting conditions, increasing insurance rates.

A PUBLIC OPTION Unlike many of his Democratic rivals for the presidential nomination, Biden never endorsed Medicare for All. Rather, he vowed to strengthen Obamacare. Biden’s plan calls for a Medicare-like public option to compete alongside private insurance markets for working-age Americans, while also increasing premium subsidies that many working-class and middle-class workers use already under the ACA. The public option would be available for small businesses and individuals who do not have, cannot afford or do not like their employer-based coverage. That positions Biden between Trump—who wants to scrap the 2010 law altogether— and more progressive Democrats who want a single-payer system to replace private insurance. Biden sees his approach as the next step toward universal cover-

BEACON SENIOR NEWS age. His plan would open up the ACA to millions of people who are uninsured because they live in one of the 13 states that have refused to expand Medicaid. Biden proposed lowering the age to opt into Medicare from 65 to 60, a move that would extend it to some 20 million more Americans. Medicare would be free to negotiate prices with drug companies, and makers of Medicare-covered drugs wouldn’t be allowed to raise prices by more than inflation. He also recommended expanding the subsidies available on the ACA marketplaces. To pay for this $750 billion plan over 10 years, Biden suggested increasing taxes on the wealthy. In contrast, Trump has proposed several budgets that would cut both Medicare and Medicaid spending. Medicare reductions wouldn’t affect benefits directly, but they would change how doctors and medical providers get paid. The Trump administration has also supported imposing work requirements and other limitations on Medicaid and installing caps on Medicaid spending growth. He has also supported converting Medicaid to block grants, which would result in fewer people covered. What neither Biden nor Trump has adequately addressed is the impending insolvency of the Medicare Trust Fund, which was projected to run out of money in 2026.

CAREGIVERS Senior care—an important topic often overlooked on the campaign trail—is back in the spotlight due to Biden’s plan. The former vice president is focused on supporting the professional, long-term care workforce serving seniors in nursing homes, assisted living facilities and in their own homes, as well as family caregivers. Biden’s plan also calls for improving the pay and benefits of home health care aides and personal care assistance. It advocates for a national minimum wage of $15 an hour for caregivers as well as 12

THERE’S ONE AREA WHERE BOTH TRUMP AND BIDEN AGREE: BOTH FAVOR SOME FORM OF IMPORTING PRESCRIPTION DRUGS FROM FOREIGN COUNTRIES TO LOWER COSTS. weeks of federally paid medical and family leave. Plus, about 40 million unpaid family caregivers would get help with an annual tax credit of up to $5,000. The plan would additionally help seniors buy long-term care insurance with tax breaks. As a part of his economic agenda, Biden calls for a 10-year $775 billion overhaul of the nation’s caregiving infrastructure. He wants to expand alternatives to institutional care for all older Americans while helping veterans by filling vacancies at Veterans Affairs facilities. He’s also pledging to train and hire 150,000 new community health workers in underserved communities and creating a public health job corps. However, Biden’s plan falls short by not adequately addressing universal long-term care coverage. It doesn’t include much to benefit middle-income recipients of longterm care and their families who are not poor enough for Medicaid but don’t have enough to purchase assistance on their own.

DRUG PRICES Drug prices have been a big focus of President Trump’s rhetoric. In August, Trump signed executive orders aimed at lowering drug prices. His orders would allow states to develop plans to import cheaper drugs from Canada, eliminate a system of rebates in a bid to simplify the system, and seek to make EpiPens and insulin more af-

fordable for some patients. He also announced a more sweeping order seeking to slash the price that Medicare pays for drugs to be in line with prices paid in other countries. These are ideas Trump had previously floated but not succeeded getting into law. His effort to base the price of some Medicare drugs on the costs in foreign countries, where drugs tend to be cheaper,

stalled and died in 2019. Biden supports a bill approved by the Democratic-led House of Representatives last year that would allow Medicare to negotiate drug prices the way private insurers do. Allowing this would enable the federal government to save billions of dollars and lower drug prices. Republicans and the pharmaceutical industry argue this would force drug makers to spend less money on research and development. The Trump administration vowed to veto the House bill if it ever got Senate approval, which is unlikely. There’s one area where both Trump and Biden agree: both favor some form of importing prescription drugs from foreign countries to lower costs. However, safety concerns, questions about counterfeit drugs and the powerful drug lobby’s objections have stopped this proposal in both Democratic and Republican administrations for more than 25 years. ■

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BEACON SENIOR NEWS

A face for community radio: KAFM’s “Coach” retires By Melanie Wiseman

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eff “Coach” Suldener has retired from several careers, but none with more hesitation than as program director at the Grand Valley’s KAFM Community Radio. His retirement date was originally April 1, 2018, but he finally bit the bullet on September 1, 2020—in his official capacity, anyway. “I’ll still be a volunteer at least on the air, and at the most assisting the new director, as there’s a whole culture to learn here,” said Coach. “I want to make sure they have a good head start.”

BECOMING “COACH” A Colorado native, Coach grew up in Aspen playing basketball and baseball. His high school baseball coach was a significant role model. “I always knew I wanted to be a coach, and was told I’d make a good one, but I also knew it wouldn’t be a career which paid the bills,” said Coach, 64. Getting his teaching degree from the University of Northern Colorado complemented his coaching skills. As it turned out, his first real career after college wasn’t teaching. Always a big sports fan, Coach met the New York Mets’ broadcaster. They talked about careers and baseball, and one thing led to another. “After pulling a few strings, he got me into professional umpire school in Daytona, Florida,” said coach. “It’s like boot camp—brutal. They make it difficult and yell at you a lot.” That weeded out about 30 percent of students, but Coach finished in the top of his class, guaranteeing him an invitation to spring training and an assignment to a minor league team. He spent 1979 umpiring for the Pioneer League, which now includes the Grand Junction Rockies. “I knew I wasn’t going to make the major leagues because I was

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I REALLY, REALLY LIKE MUSIC, AND ALSO DIDN’T LIKE WHAT COMMERCIAL RADIO HAD BECOME. only 5-foot-9 and they like very tall umpires,” he said. “So I headed back to Greeley where I umpired semi-pro and college baseball, and taught umpire training for the Greeley Parks and Rec Department.” In 1983, the Greeley school board approved a new soccer program and offered him a coaching position the next day. He also began his first-grade school teaching job. “All through my teaching/coaching career, I had to have three different personalities: One for the little kids during the day, one for the teens I was coaching, and one for the rest of my social life outside school,” he explained.

BEACON SENIOR NEWS Soccer exploded in Colorado in the 1980s. His experience led him to coach Grand Junction High School’s boys’ and girls’ soccer teams in 1989 while teaching grade school at Nisley Elementary. He later transferred to coaching Central High School teams in 1996. Once he relocated to Grand Junction, the name “Coach” stuck both on and off the field. “A few people call me by my first name—my sisters and a handful of family members,” he said. “But now even my brothers-in-law call me Coach.”

ON TO COMMUNITY RADIO In 1999, seven years after a group of citizens sat down to discuss the possibility of creating a locally owned and programmed community radio station in Grand Junction, KAFM went on the air. Coach immediately became a member and offered to volunteer. “The next thing I knew, I was on the air at night or on Sundays,” said

Coach. “I really, really like music, and also didn’t like what commercial radio had become, playing the same songs over and over. KAFM is real radio, run by real DJs—all volunteers.” Eventually, he became disillusioned by schools’ new high-stakes test scores, which he felt came at the expense of students’ real education. In 2006, he retired from teaching after 30 years. This allowed him to commit even more time to his newfound passion: local radio. Many community radio stations become gathering places for one ideology. But according to Coach, KAFM has made everyone feel welcome since the beginning, the music is diverse, and volunteers don’t editorialize. As a nonprofit, member and volunteer-supported community radio station, KAFM fills a vital role in the Grand Valley as an accessible forum for music, arts, culture and information by and for the community.

“Staying away from politics has been a winning formula for us,” said Coach.

A LOCAL LEADER Since 2004, Coach worked a few stints as program director until becoming full time in 2010. He oversaw the recruitment, training and management of over 100 on-air volunteers, two-thirds of whom were over 60. Volunteers set their own playlists for two- to three-hour music slots, while Coach ran the weekday community affairs segment. “One of my favorite interviews was with the Grand Junction Rockies’ Pioneer League umpires,” said Coach. “I got a lot of good feedback where listeners learned things the casual baseball fan wouldn’t know about.” KAFM has no commercials, relying on funding from membership drives, underwriting and grants. The station also focuses on local news and tries to showcase local music as much as possible.

“KAFM is live and local 18 hours a day, which is unheard of anymore,” said Coach. In addition to volunteering at the station, Coach says he’s looking forward to spending retirement biking, cross-country skiing and traveling, especially to see his beloved London-based Arsenal soccer team play in Europe. When asked if he’d consider going back to umpiring or coaching, Coach laughed and said he’ll enjoy the games from the stands from now on. ■

Listen to KAFM 88.1 in Grand Junction and Fruita, and 96.9 in Palisade. Show your support for local radio! Call 241-8801 or visit www.KAFMRadio.org to learn about support opportunities.

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BEACON SENIOR NEWS

Stuck mulling over the Medicare muddle? Here are some crucial tips By Karen Telleen-Lawton

’ve been writing about Medicare for years, so I wasn’t particularly affronted when, not long after my 64th birthday, I started receiving advertising circulars about Medicare, Medicare Advantage, and supplemental plans. Whether you are a newly enrolling senior or have been enrolled in Medicare for years, you do need to understand the system and the changes that happen nearly every year.

WHERE TO START Your first decision, and the most important, is deciding whether to expand your upcoming Medicare coverage either through Medicare Advantage (Part C) or Medigap (supplemental Medicare). The best way to begin is with “Medicare & You: The Official U.S.

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Government Handbook,” available at www.medicare.gov. Medicare’s confusion stems from its being cobbled together over the last 55 years by many political administrations. When approved by President Lyndon Johnson in 1965, it included only Part A (hospital) and Part B (doctor visits) coverage. In the 1980s, supplemental private insurance in the form of Medigap plans were offered to cover some of the deductibles and copays. The Medigap plans currently available in most states are A, B, D, G, K, L, M and N. Each plan offers a different level of coverage. Two other plans, C and F, are no longer available to new enrollees.

DRUG COVERAGE Part D Drug coverage is different in an important way. Drug coverage

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began in 2003. Every year since then, the insurance companies tinker with their list of covered drugs. Because of this, every October, it’s a good idea to determine which plan is least expensive and most convenient for your menu of prescriptions. Unlike Medigap plans, you can choose a new drug plan each year with no penalty. One caveat is that if you require a new prescription during that year, you’ll be at the mercy of your current drug plan. When choosing your Medicare plan, start by asking your doctors and your friends what plan(s) they recommend. Perhaps the clinic or hospital with whom your doctor is associated only accepts one or two plans. If your friends have had good experiences with their plans, consider those. But understand

that what works for your friends may not always work for you.

STILL HAVE QUESTIONS? You may still have a lot of questions after you’ve devoured the official guide. I’ve also found “Medicare for Dummies” to be very helpful.

BEACON SENIOR NEWS You can also contact your local State Health Insurance Assistance Programs (SHIP) for free, in-depth, one-on-one insurance counseling and assistance. In Mesa County, call 243-9839. In Montrose and Delta, call 765-3132. A few final suggestions to urge you on your way: • Your initial Medicare enrollment period begins the third month before your 65th birthday month and finishes at the end of the third month after your birthday month. That gives you seven months to make some pretty momentous decisions. • You can sign up later, at retirement, if your current coverage through an employer is at least

as comprehensive as Medicare (“creditable coverage”). Otherwise, you may face a permanent financial penalty.

Is your LARGE home tying you DOWN?

• This year’s Open Enrollment Period—when current insureds can choose a new MA, drug, or supplemental plan—is October 15 through December 7, 2020. Coverage starts January 1, 2021.

NEED ASSISTANCE WITH AN AGING PARENT’S HOME?

• Don’t forget you can always contact a local Medicare insurance sales advisor.

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If you’re approaching your 65th birthday, make some time for Medicare decisions. Despite my background in financial planning, I still find the choices complex and confusing. ■

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Medicare Monday virtual seminars (Wednesdays, too!)

These programs, brought to you virtually by Colorado Gerontological Society, include educational presentations, individual and medication management counseling, comparison shopping, resources and more. For more information and to register, visit www.senioranswers.org or call 303-333-3482. • October 19, 9:30 a.m. - Medicare Changes • October 21, noon - Medicare & COVID-19 • October 26, 1 p.m. - New to Medicare • October 28, noon - Medicare Advantage & Medicare Supplements • November 2, 6 p.m. - Medicare Changes • November 4, noon - Medicare & Federal Retiree Plans, VA, TriCare • November 9, 9:30 a.m. - New to Medicare • November 11, noon - Medicare, Medicaid & Low-income Services • November 16, 1 p.m. - Medicare Changes • November 18, noon - Medicare While Still Employed WWW.BEACONSENIORNEWS.COM | OCTOBER 2020 |

TRAVEL

Modern Elder Academy Retreat to Cabo for new outlooks on aging By Jan Weeks

“Y

ou’re not getting older, you’re getting better!” Such was the popular catchphrase back in the day, prompting serious eye rolls from a lot of seniors. But Modern Elder Academy goes beyond the cliché by actually giving older people new skills and outlooks on aging. Chip Conley, the founder, calls the academy “a wisdom school for midlife, where wisdom is not taught, it’s shared.” He believes midlife isn’t a crisis, it’s a calling. In March, Montrose resident Yolanda Del Hierro, 72, spent a week experiencing the academy at its home base in Baja California, Mexico. She learned about it from her brother, who went to Stanford with Conley and suggested she attend one of the workshops. As he described the academy, Del Hierro—a holistic practitioner—felt strong, positive energy flood her.

That night, she dreamed she was looking over a cliff and saw people sitting on a beach and talking. “I knew without a doubt I was going to Mexico,” she said. The next day she went to the website and saw pictures that mirrored her dream.

LEARN IN PARADISE Del Hierro applied for a scholarship, received the support and off she went. From the moment she landed in Cabo San Lucas, she was immersed in learning and luxury. “The campus had beautiful scenery, flowers and architecture. It truly felt like heaven on earth!” she said. Sixteen Americans and one Australian took part in the week-long retreat, all from varied professions and backgrounds (one man was a steelworker for 40 years). Since its founding in 2018, the academy has hosted folks from all over the

Academy members had the option to take a surfing lesson while in Cabo.

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world, from ages 30 to 78. So while it’s called “elder,” the academy is for anyone feeling anxiety and bewilderment about where they are in life. Among the academy’s attractions are its seaside location and its organic gardens that provide fresh vegetables at every meal. The rooms are cleaned thoroughly every day and other ordinary chores are taken care of. Students have nothing required of them except to concentrate on unlearning old habits and learning new ways to see the world as elders. Academy activities included an optional surfing lesson and trips into Todos Santos for meals and to explore the village, which has eluded the horde of tourists common in other Mexican towns and cities. Though there are many small-group events to choose from, private nooks encourage solitary meditation. One exercise everyone partici-

“THE CAMPUS HAD BEAUTIFUL SCENERY, FLOWERS AND ARCHITECTURE. IT TRULY FELT LIKE HEAVEN ON EARTH!” pated in was stone balancing—each person chose two or more stones to balance on top of each other. “The activity forces you to be in the moment, focused only on that task,” Del Hierro explained. Such focus was the drive of the week-long event. “We learned to let go, to let grace happen,” Del Hierro added. “I broke through perceived limitations that I had imposed on myself.” Students also gained different perceptions about aging by paying attention to their bodies and changing their mindsets about getting older. Instead of thinking of their lives as practically over, they learned that they have a lot more to offer, especially wisdom gained from diverse experiences. Throughout the week, Del Hierro understood more about herself. “I learned that I have an incredible support system in my business

TRAVEL and with new friends through our shared experience. I am bolder and feel that I let go of limiting beliefs of myself. I was revitalized to continue moving forward as I become older and learned that I have a lot to share,” she said. Del Hierro was quick to recommend the experience for others. “Everyone can benefit from a week of learning and fun and taking a break from their regular lifestyle. It helps them reset mind, body, emotions and spirit,” she said. For her, the best part was being with like-minded people who were willing to grow and change. The academy’s workshop topics include “Designing Your Transitions in an Uncertain World,” “The Making of a Modern Elder,” “Women’s Week: Rebooting Your Next Act,” “Mastery Week: Aligning Purpose and the Planet” and “Mastery Week: The Soul of Money.” Del Hierro took two classes offered at the time: “Career Mindset” and “Becoming a Modern Elder.” She found

to take steps to keep participants safe. Meals are all served outside on covered, open-air decks with plenty of space for separation; activities have been redesigned to increase personal space, allowing attendees to regulate and control their own interactions; the campus has been optimized for open air and social distance interactions; and classes have shifted to mostly outside to create a more nature-based experience. Masks are required where social distancing is impossible. Through the end of 2020, accommodations will be single— regardless of tuition—except in cases of couples or friends traveling together. To find out more about Modern Elder Academy, visit www.modern elderacademy.com, where you can also read the daily blog. Contact Del Hierro at 720-583-0729 to find out more about her business, which includes natural vision restoration, brain integration rewiring, emotion code and craniosacral therapy. ■

Even with mild hearing loss, your risk of dementia can double. Montrose resident Yolanda Del Hierro shows off her Modern Elder Academy pin, left, and the retreat center’s incredible seaside view.

embracehearing technology with ease, to business knowledge expanding, In a 25-yearherstudy, people not using devices had stay in contact with her cohort on as well as her openness to share and to readdevices Conley’s “Wis-with withof thedementia. group. a higher risk OticonZoom hearing dom Well” blogs every day. “We had wonderful conversaTM technology the clearest, purest signal BrainHearing tions.” Her only complaint? “Itprovide went BECOME A MODERN ELDER by too fast!” possible andSince arereturning a great choice to treat your loss. COVID hearing have to Montrose, Del Concerns about prompted Modern Elder Academy

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SOME PLANS ARE NOT WHAT THEY SEEM. Do you know the answers to these questions? 1. Do all your physicians accept the plan you are considering? 2. Does the plan you are considering allow you to see any physician or go to any hospital in the country? 3. Do all supplement plans offer an annual open enrollment?

Medicare Open Enrollment for 2021 is Right Around the Good News For Those Facing High Costs of F Plans! • If you currently have a Plan F Supplement you can move to a Plan G Supplement between January 1, 2021- June 30, 2021, without having to answer medical questions. • Why would you want to move from a Plan F to a Plan G? The premiums for a Plan G can be significantly less money!

• Will your coverage be the same under a Plan G Supplement? The ONLY difference between a Plan F and a Plan G is that you pay the annual Medicare Part B deductible (which in 2020 was $198). We have seen that Plan G savings are more than enough money to pay the Part B deductible and have money left over!

• Can you move to a Plan G now and not wait until January 1, 2021? Yes! You will need to answer medical questions if you apply now, but if you are in relatively good health, you can apply and if accepted, start saving money now!

DON’T LIMIT YOURSELF TO ONE MEDICARE

DON’T GET TAKEN ADVANTAGE OF!@@@@ 4. Do you need to review your drug coverage every year? 5. If a physician charges above Medicare’s approved amounts does the plan you are considering pick up the additional Part B charges? 6. How do I choose the right plan for me not only for today but also in the future when my healthcare needs change as I age?

Corner! Here are some Important things to be aware of: Some companies will be dropping their Medicare Supplement and/or Medicare Cost plans in 2020, forcing you to choose new coverage for 2021. Here are a few things to keep in mind: • If an insurance carrier “drops” your plan, you can switch to any carrier or to any plan without being turned down for coverage due to pre-existing medical conditions. But you have only a limited time to enroll in a new plan so be careful!

• Can’t I switch to a new supplement every year during open enrollment? No! Not all Supplements have annual open enrollment which comes as a shock to many people on Medicare. You must have a qualifying event to make this change – otherwise

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Upon his return, people stood on both sides of the issue. Some came from neighboring districts to help with repairs. Others scoffed and tried to intimidate the workers. Some even tried to take advantage of the situation to war against Jerusalem. Half the men stood guard while the other half worked with their tools in one hand and a weapon in the other. But when the work was completed, their enemies were frightened and humiliated because they realized the work had been completed with the help of God. The people repented of their sins and asked God’s forgiveness, then celebrated what the Lord had done and dedicated themselves to him. The book of Nehemiah is a picture of what the church of America needs to be in this hour. Now, we must stand together to repair the broken wall of our society. There will be scoffers. There will be those who try to stop us. But we must be courageous. We must be watchmen on the wall. We must have workers who stand with the tools of our work in one hand and the sword of His truth in the other. We cannot afford to simply be spectators. We must be vigilant. We must consecrate ourselves daily to our God. It is not easy work. It won’t happen overnight. But it can happen. Then, and only then, will we return to our roots as a nation under God. ■

TALKING DIGITAL

What exactly is a word processor? Is it simpler than a computer? THE BIGGEST T DIFFERENCE BETWEEN he topic of this month’s column was prompted by a reader question, which I always appreciate. Joy asked: “Dear Adam, I’m old enough to have relied on a typewriter for many years. I purchased a Chromebook, which has many nice document features, but is there something simpler? I just want to write letters, articles, reports and print them. I don’t understand the capabilities and features of the commonly referred to “word processor.” Is this a separate electronic device I can purchase? As an elderly woman, I appreciate your patience and understanding.” Oh, boy! What a great question. I grew up with a love of typewriters. I think they’re beautiful (Google “Oliver Typewriter Company” and you’ll see what I mean). I also grew up with an appreciation for the ability to compile words on a page almost as quickly as those words come into your mind. Generally, kids today aren’t even taught how to type in school anymore. They’re raised using a QWERTY keyboard. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve seen parents hover over their teens and ask,

“When did you learn to type?” Today, it’s a skill that’s acquired alongside learning to speak. “Word processing” is a term used to define the entire process of creating a document. It’s a concept, a physical device, and a type of software. In the days of a typewriter, you typed letters and reports, or you filled out predesigned forms. Word processing refers to both the typing and creation of the forms. The devices once known as word processors are now obsolete. Typewriters are still being manufactured, but computers have taken over the role of word processing machines that allowed you to create a document on a screen before the words were printed on paper. Today, the term “word processor” generally refers to a program that allows you to type, create documents and build forms. There are a few online word processors that eliminate the complexities of form creation and focus primarily on typing and document creation. I often recommend Hemingway (www.hemingwayapp. com) for people who just want to put words on a page. The online

“WORD PROCESSING” AND “TYPEWRITER-ING” IS THE WORKFLOW.

version is free and it’s only $10 for the offline app. The biggest difference between “word processing” and “typewriter-ing” is the workflow. With a computer, the process is backwards. Start by putting the words on the screen. Next edit the document. If you can create, save and print a document, you are 80 percent there. Last, add embellishments like bold, underline, italics, indent, etc. Once you have mastered these basics, you’ll find that you’ve learned important concepts that will help you customize the look

and feel of the document you’re creating. I find that most people get overwhelmed by what technology can do more than they get flustered by what it actually does. Don’t think about all of the things your word processing program can do. Just focus on the things you want to do. ■

TALKING DIGITAL BY ADAM COCHRAN Send your technology questions to Adam in care of the BEACON, or email him directly at adamc@talkingdigital.org

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FINANCE

Common retirement money misconceptions By Karen Telleen-Lawton

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efore retiring, I always pictured retirement as casual, unplanned days of working in the garden, writing and getting together with friends. These would be interspersed with travel to visit grandkids and explore different parts of the world. Above all was the idea that I didn’t have to think about money. Notwithstanding the many lifestyle changes required by COVID-19, actual retirement is different. Whether you arrive at retirement age needing to continue to fill your coffers, or your money decisions are along the lines of whether to fly coach or business class, you still have to deal with money decisions. Like me, you may have your own misconceptions.

SOCIAL SECURITY Topping the list of retirement misconceptions are when to take Social Security. The short answer is, you should begin taking Social Security distributions at age 70, unless. This reasoning is strictly based on the numbers. Between your FRA (Full Retirement Age) and age 70, your benefit increases 8 percent per year, in addition to any cost of living increases declared. There is no other such essentially riskless return, so it’s a no-brainer...unless the “unless” comes into play. If you are depending on Social Security to meet your basic living needs, then by all means begin your benefit at your FRA. You can even start as early as age 62 (or age 60 in certain circumstances). Be aware that before your FRA, your benefit will be permanently reduced. The total lifetime benefit is designed to be the same actuarially, no matter when you begin drawing. Thus, if you expect to have a shorter lifespan (perchance a high genetic propensity to terminal diseases),

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you could choose to collect on the early end. Or, if you think COVID-19 or other problems will stymie the federal government’s ability to perform on its obligations, you could collect earlier to hedge your bets. For most of us, a higher benefit accrues to those who are patient.

DIVERSIFY The second source of angst around retirement planning is where your funds should be kept when you retire. Do you want all your retirement funds transitioned into a private annuity so that you don’t have to worry about them? That appeals to my sense of a no-worries retirement. But in reality, you’re then subjecting yourself to the business acumen of decades with a single private insurance company. Instead, security comes in diversification. The ideal portfolio is one in which you have several options for drawing an annual income. One income source is guaranteed payments such as annuities, pensions and Social Security. Statistics show that current retirees who had average earnings depend on Social Security payments to support 40 percent of their regular spending. Up to 85 percent of your benefit will be taxed at your income level. Another source is retirement accounts like 401(k)s and IRAs, accumulated from years of pre-tax contributions with employers or self-employment. It is tempting to just simply leave the funds (if allowed) under your company’s retirement umbrella. But, it’s important to examine the fees first. You may be better off rolling the funds into an IRA that you can manage apart from your former employer. You’re required to withdraw a certain percentage of each account beginning at age 72 (a 2020 tax code change from 70). This is your RMD: the Required Minimum

FINANCE

THE BEST TIME TO BE MOST CONSERVATIVELY INVESTED IS RIGHT WHEN YOU’RE ON THE CUSP OF RETIREMENT: AROUND FIVE YEARS BEFORE UNTIL FIVE YEARS AFTER YOU RETIRE. Distribution that will be taxed at withdrawal. It’s a good idea to manage these withdrawals over time to minimize the tax. A third source for paying expenses is any other personal banking or investment accounts consisting of post-tax funds. When you consider these three sources of funds, you can balance the share of each depending on the impulses of the tax law each year. A tax accountant can let you know if, for your situation, this is worthwhile to consider.

FIXED INCOME Within your accounts, how should money be allocated as a senior? Surprisingly, the answer is not necessarily “all in fixed income.” In fact, the best time to be most conservatively invested is right when you’re

on the cusp of retirement: around five years before until five years after you retire. This decade is the most exposed in terms of how long your money will need to last and what unknowns will happen to shake your good planning. For instance, if you’re in that period now, a heavy stake in stocks will affect your future more than if you have attained the ripe age of 85. COVID-19 is likely to wreak at least as much havoc as the 20082009 recession, but only if you can’t afford to just wait it out while spending non-market cash. A generation or more ago, we might have hung up our worry hats at the door of whichever adult child agreed to take us in. Now we prefer our independence, but with that freedom comes responsibility. ■

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BUSINESS PROFILE

Save money and energy

with Grand Valley Home Insulation By Jan Weeks

hat if you could cut your energy bill, drastically reduce traffic noise in your home, and extend the life of your air conditioner and furnace? Would you do it? According to Jim Schooley, owner of Grand Valley Home Insulation, it’s more than possible and it’s easy. Since 2002, Schooley has worked in thousands of homes in the greater Grand Junction area, helping homeowners make their houses more efficient.

FOCUS ON QUALITY He explained that most heat loss occurs through the attic. “I’ve run into customers who spent thousands on replacement windows and wrapping their homes with insulation, and after I’ve added attic insulation, they said to me,

‘What you did helped more than all the other stuff we did.’” Schooley works to get the best prices and uses Corning fiberglass insulation a lot. He noted the differences in insulation. “Contractors use batt or rolled insulation between the two by fours, and you can see the wood above the insulation,” he said. That results in only about three inches of insulation in an attic. Many installers use blow-in insulation made from ground-up newspapers or other organic material. However, Schooley said it biodegrades over time.

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Jim Schooley, owner of Grand Valley Home Insulation.

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standards, which may not be as efficient. Schooley recalled a homeowner who bought a new house and was plagued by ice dams on the roof. He consulted Schooley, who explained that chipping away at the ice dams, a result of under-insulated attic spaces, can lead to shingle damage. Plus, the melting water can run off, creating icy spots on driveways and steps, which can be hazardous. Some people think they need to have more insulation in their walls and want Schooley’s crew to blow in more. “Homes built after around 1956 already have insulation in the walls and there’s no room for more,” said Schooley. If a home is older, then insulation can be blown between the studs, resulting in more savings and comfort for the homeowner.

vinced he needed more roof ventilation. He didn’t need it, so I refused to do the work. My reputation is the most valuable thing I own and I won’t take advantage of people,” he said. Insulating a 1,000-square-foot home’s attic costs about $900 with blown-in insulation which is less than using batt insulation that can run $1,200 to $1,500 for the same area, according to Schooley. Larger homes, of course cost more. Another benefit to blown-in fiberglass insulation is that it fills in any gaps around vent pipes or other items that stick through the roof. Schooley also installs roof vents, gable vents and turbines. Schooley has worked with homeowners for over 40 years and loves what he does. He started his own business in 2002 and joked about the strenuous insulating demands. “I get to go to ‘the gym’ every day and people pay me to do it!” he said with a laugh. For a free home assessment, call 640-3908. For more info, visit www.grandvalleyinsulation.com. ■

A TRUSTED REPUTATION Schooley will evaluate anyone’s insulation needs but won’t do work that doesn’t need to be done. “One man came to me, con-

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BEACON GUIDE HIGHLIGHT

Commemorative Air Force grounded Museum battles COVID-19 and engine failure setbacks By Michael Melneck

oth the pandemic and engine repairs have kept Grand Junction’s Commemorative Air Force (CAF) from its 2020 schedule of appearances and activities. These setbacks have resulted in lost time and revenue, and the near closure of the museum to student tours.

RARE AVIATION FINDS Only 20 of the 10,000 World War II TBM Avenger Torpedo Bombers built still fly, and the Rocky Mountain Wing (RMW) is home to one of them. The museum, located near the airport at 780 Heritage Way, Grand Junction, works to restore and maintain its aircraft, and tell the stories of wartime heroes. During a typical fall and spring, students come from Mesa, Delta and Montrose counties to tour the museum. Visitors are encouraged to be hands-on with the airplanes, visit with veterans and even write a letter to a veteran. Normally, CAF welcomes groups of 20-30 students at a time, and hosted over 1,700 students last year. The museum’s TBM is the only plane that has a place on the Colorado Register of Historic Properties, and was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2018. The museum also has a letter from Queen Elizabeth recognizing the

Wing’s TBM The World War II Avenger Torpedo Bomber in flight. flying with Royal Canadian Navy anti-submarine planes aboard the HMS Magnificent, and Wing Leader. “But the fix can only that it was be done by an FAA-registered part of the flyover at the Queen’s repair shop.” Coronation Review of the Fleet in The entire engine has to be 1953. These prominent honors help disassembled and inspected, any inform students and other visitors internal damage repaired, and then of the tremendous effort the U.S. the engine is reassembled and and its citizens made to the war tested. The repair can cost up to effort. $75,000, plus $10,000 for shipping. A WRENCH IN THE PLANS RMW is looking to meet its The pandemic has thrown a wrench $40,000 goal before it ships the in the museum’s year-long plans. engine off for repairs. It’s a lot for Most of RMW’s income comes from this small nonprofit staffed entirely appearances at and participation by volunteers, but RMW isn’t taking in 12-18 air shows during warmer these hits sitting down. Member months, all of which have been can- dues and donations, events, open celed for 2020. Rides in the airplane houses and an annual World War and sales of aviation-related items II Hanger Dance contribute to the would also normally contribute. group’s revenue stream. While there are ways to mitigate SUPPORT CAF’S MISSION the adverse effects of COVID-19 to We can all work to promote the some extent, there’s no quick or history and wonder that the CAF easy fix for a TBM engine failure. has to offer. Donate and take a Last July, a bronze spacer ring on virtual tour of the museum at www. the Avenger cracked and broke rockymountainwingcaf.org. Call loose, falling into the crankcase. 256-0693 for museum hours and “That’s not an uncommon directions.■ failure,” said Kent Taylor, the CAF’s

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BEACON SENIOR NEWS

Night Gallery: Horror stories scarier than the pandemic By Sam Beeson

he theme music came on. Chills shot down my spine in anticipation of the horrors the next hour might hold. Eagerly, I waited for the rock star of all things horror to come on screen and greet me, just like every week. “Good evening, and welcome to a private showing of three paintings, displayed here for the first time. Each is a collector’s item in its own way—not because of any special artistic quality, but because each captures, on a canvas, suspended in time and space, a frozen moment of a nightmare.” The show was called “The Night Gallery,” and I was its biggest fan. It was based around a fictitious art studio where paintings were featured that told a horrifying tale. The show was an anthology series that usually featured three unrelated paintings that went with three

different and unique stories. A lot of them were awful—as in wasted-sections-of-my-young-life awful. But those hits were out-ofthe-ballpark screamers! Some of those grand slams included “The Caterpillar,” an insect that is used to murder in a particularly gruesome fashion; “Brenda,” a troubled teenage girl who developed a friendship with something inhuman; “Green Fingers,” an evil land developer who discovered a little old lady who can truly grow anything she plants; and “The Dead Man,” a doctor’s experiment in hypnosis that goes terrifyingly wrong. But the one episode that really screwed me up was called simply, “The Doll.” It’s not really a spoiler if I tell you it’s about an evil doll that comes to life, right? But that doll… it scared the young daylights right out of me! To this day, dolls and mannequins in general still give me

the willies. All in all I never truly believed in the supernatural, even though I loved it so. I often wondered how interesting life might be if ghosts existed, or if some strange sort of monster were to crawl from the seas and wreak havoc. Even an alien invasion would have been interesting to my young mind. Just something a little different, a little weird, and a little scary. Then along came 2020. This Halloween I expect to see (if trick-or-treating is safe to do), more than a few COVID costumes. I picture giant gray round heads with red flowers sticking out and a few “murder hornets” with toy chainsaws and plastic knives. I admit, I never expected a pandemic to replace my fear of dolls. Still, that’s the thing about good horror—you don’t see it coming. So this Halloween, I’ll put on a

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From “The Doll,” an episode from “The Night Gallery” TV Show. mask and pass out candy to the COVID monsters and killer wasps that might come to my house. I expect we probably won’t see as many kids as we confront this new and scary world. But I still love the horror story. And if there are no little monsters at my door, I’ll probably be watching “The Night Gallery” on TV. Because that kind of fear I can deal with. ■

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chocolate. Two super-size Crunchy was in the shower performing my Reese’s Peanut Butter bars. The Brokerage “when I remember to do it” breast They called two days later to 970-243-4507 970-243-4507 exam when I found it—the lump I say I had an appointment with 2200 a 2200 E. Main • Grand E. Main • Grand Junction • Open 8am - 5pm M-F & Junction 8am - Noon Sat. • All Credit Cards Accep never thought would find its way surgeon I’d never heard of in five Open 8 am - 5 pm, M-F • All Credit Cards Accepted into my body. Blood drained from fret-filled days. my brain and rushed down to my After thinking it over, I told bunions. Thinking maybe I’d just myself that was good news. Had my grabbed some fatty tissue, I told situation been dire, they wouldn’t myself to re-check to make sure. make me wait five whole days. There it was again. I flew out of Would they? Something else took the shower, soapy water soaking into the edge off my worry. My boob felt the new carpet while I grabbed the like a stubbed toe and Google said phone and called my gynecologist, that pain was not a usual sign of stuttering my need for an appointmalignancy. Denial being my happy ment immediately, if not sooner. place, I was willing to go with that. I managed to get myself dressed, By the time the appointed into the car and to the office of my day arrived, I had thought about favorite doctor. She is delightful, everything but my lumpy mashed The Voting Rights Act of served and the person has sunbeam-bright and totally propotato. Deep down, however, there 1965 guarantees the right of completed parole fessional. Plus, she tells jokes so I was still a glacially cold fear that the a person with a disability to • You have the right to vote won’t freak out while spread-eagled “Big C” had taken up residence in have voting assistance from a even if you have a guardian in one of a woman’s most vulneraone of my girls. person of their own choosing. • You can register to vote up ble positions. Nobody in my family had ever The Voting Accessibility for the until election day as long as That day I was the one making had breast cancer. Nevertheless, I Elderly and Disabilities Act of you have been a resident of the funnies hoping she’d enjoy my did occasional self-exams. I gritted 1984 requires polling places to Colorado for 22 days prior to brand of jocularity. But while I was my teeth while enduring modern be physically accessible; if no the election telling her a new boob joke, her medicine’s equivalent to wateraccessible location is available, • Residency is a physical gaze became one of empathic conboarding—the mammogram. I then the voter can vote by address that you consider cern. She offered me only a slight gulped vitamins and ate tons of cruabsentee ballot without having your “home base” smile when, normally, she would ciferous veggies. Cancer wouldn’t to provide a photo ID. The • Nursing home residents can have laughed at my joke. dare show up in my boob when National Voter Registration vote and have their ballots Clearing her throat, she said, cauliflower, kale and broccoli were Act of 1993 designates certain delivered to drop boxes by agencies to assist with the Center for Independence. “Let’s get you to a surgeon for a my three best friends. registration of voters, including, second opinion. We’ll make the Thankfully, while the lump I disThe Center for Independence “all offices in the state that appointment for you.” covered was very scary, it was not can help you vote if you are provide state-funded programs experiencing a barrier or need A second frigid blood rush overcancer. But it served as the wakeprimarily engaged in providing to drop off your mail in ballot. took what was left of my rational up call I needed in order to realize services to persons with mind. So what did I do? I ran out of the importance of monthly breast FOR HELP CALL: disabilities.” her office with a serious craving for exams. ■ In Grand Junction Colorado Elections 740 Gunnison Ave. OCTOBER IS BREAST CANCER AWARENESS MONTH Law stipulates that 970-241-0315 Call Women's Wellness Connection to see if you're eligible for free • ALL registered voters receive breast and cervical cancer screenings. In Montose a mail ballot at least 8 days 245 S Cascade Unit B. prior to the election Delta County (offered through the health department) - 874-2183 • People with felonies are 970-765-2016 Mesa County (offered through Marillac Clinic) - 298-7765 allowed to vote as long as the Montrose County - Get free help with screening and resources time for the felony has been Center for through Montrose Memorial Hospital by calling 252-2893 or Independence email cfisher@montrosehospital.com.

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BEACON SENIOR NEWS

Family projects for pandemic times

Intergenerational fun builds family pride By Arlyn Macdonald

S Discover a tranquil neighborhood all your own. Carefree retirement living. The Cottages let you live independently while giving you the freedom to make the most of your retirement. Our single-level patio homes offer privacy and luxury with open living plans, two bedrooms, two baths, vaulted ceilings, contemporary kitchens, gas fireplace, covered patio, and a one-car garage. Enjoy a maintenance-free lifestyle with paid utilities, weekly housekeeping, snow removal, lawn maintenance, and flexible meal options at our Commons or Fountains dining rooms. Plus you and your loved ones get peace of mind with a 24-hour emergency response system.

ocial distancing has created challenging times for seniors and their families who may struggle to feel connected. Intergenerational projects create an opportunity to build family unity and pride during the pandemic. No matter their age, everyone can help create these family projects. The following are a chance for families to learn more about each other, appreciate the gifts and talents of both the older and younger generations and create family heirlooms to pass down. Building a family tree: Knowing your ancestors is important for families. Design either a large, expansive family tree or a smaller one that includes just grandparents and greatgrandparents. For adults, the family tree information can be written, shared and saved in electronic files. Encourage children, who are more visual, to draw a tree trunk and bare branches on a large piece of paper or find a medium-size branch of a real tree and set it firmly in a base. As they learn the names of their ancestors, write them on colored pieces of paper and hang the names on their family tree. There should be as many branches as family names. Have fun tracing family history from home by browsing through old photos or doing genealogy research on the Internet. Encourage talks with

grandchildren and great-grandchildren on the phone or via Zoom to learn ancestors’ names and where they were born. It’s also fun to send everyone a copy of the picture of the ancestor to add to their family trees. If seniors are on lockdown, display the family trees through windows or share during special visitation times. Family storybooks: Every family has fun memories, stories of courage and unusual accounts of family members past and present. However, these tales are often lost between the generations. Interview the seniors in your family and create a family storybook by writing down family stories and letting grandchildren illustrate each one. Put the stories and illustrations in a scrapbook together with a photo of the person who experienced the events. Bring out the storybook on holidays and share family favorites, or add new ones each year. Memory books: You may have a memory book for a child with photos, certificates, report cards and awards. But it’s never too late to start a memory book, even for elders in the family. Share old family photos to stimulate fun memories. Select photos with each family member and the senior to be added to the memory book, writing down the memory that goes with the picture. Have each person write something special they remember

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IT’S NEVER TOO LATE TO START A MEMORY BOOK, EVEN FOR ELDERS IN THE FAMILY.

BEACON SENIOR NEWS about their grandma and grandpa to include with their photo. Be sure to make a book for each set of grand and great-grandparents. Family flags: In earlier times in history, family flags were displayed at all important occasions. Similarly, modern families can make an intergenerational string of family flags. Each family member receives a square of cloth of the same size to design as his or her own special flag. Paint, color or sew designs on flags. String the finished flags together on a cord for hanging, and bring them out at each family gathering to create a tradition of family pride. Take an intergenerational photo with the flags in the background for each occasion and place it in the memory books. If birthdays and special occasions are celebrated via Zoom, hang the flags where they can be easily seen. Family coat of arms: In Medieval times, each family had a special coat of arms or crest. These were displayed on flags, tapestries or

shields and proudly carried during important family and community events. The coat of arms symbolized values of the family. For this project, each family purchases or makes a wooden plaque shaped like a shield (children can color their own version in paper form). Each family member researches and chooses a favorite animal or plant that represents a quality they value in their life. Glue or paint pictures of the selected plants and animals on the shields. Select a word that represents the family—such as courage, love, peace or unity—and write it at the bottom. Collect all the family shields and hang them together, with the senior shields at the top of each extended family. Use the occasion to enhance and strengthen the family’s values, pride and unity. There are so many other intergenerational projects available for families to enjoy. Be creative and inclusive and remember to have fun. ■

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MeSa County

CALENDAR

Editor’s note: Some events may be canceled or rescheduled due to COVID-19 safety measures and restrictions. Please contact event organizers to confirm details before attending. October 2

October 3

Paint fun round signs perfect for front door decorating at Raspberry Hill. All tools and supplies are included. 6-8 p.m. | 1224 O½ Road, Loma | $30 | www.raspberryhillboutique.com/ events | 901-1363

Watch the Opening and Promise Garden Ceremony online, and walk around your neighborhood to support Grand Junction’s Walk to End Alzheimer’s. 9 a.m.-12 p.m. | www.alz.org/walk

Round Sign Workshop

Walk to End Alzheimer’s

October 3 Craft Fair

Crafters are invited to the Eagles Lodge for their fifth annual craft fair in Grand Junction. 1674 US Hwy 50, Grand Junction | eaglescraftfair2019@yahoo.com | 250-9710

October 3

Dog Day at the Pool

October 3

Outdoor Recital

CMU faculty cellist Kristen YeonJi Yun presents a solo recital on the Academic Quad between the Moss Performing Arts Center and Tomlinson Library. Bring a blanket or chair. 5 p.m. | 1100 North Ave., Grand Junction | $10 | www. coloradomesa.edu/tickets

Bring your four-legged friend to Lincoln Park Pool for a splash in the water and to chase tennis balls and frisbees on the lawn. 10 a.m.-2 p.m. | 1340 Gunnison Ave., Grand Junction | $5 | 254-3866

World Habitat Day

Habitat for Humanity of Mesa County hosts an art exhibit featuring painted doors and windows by local artists to promote the nonprofit’s mission 9 a.m.-5:30 p.m. | 2936 North Ave., Grand Junction | Free | 255-9850

October 8

Virtual Tour of Palisade

New Dimensions is offering its popular “Fire and Brimstone” guided walking tour of Palisade on Zoom. 1 p.m.| Free | 425-6129 | www. newdimensionsgj.org

October 9

Senior Law Day: Powers of Attorney & Advance Directives Andrea Rosenberry presents a free virtual law presentation as part of Senior Law Day. RSVP online. 10-11 a.m. | www.eventbrite. com/e/113397007502

October 9

Hispanic Heritage Month

You’re invited to the Art Center to

learn more about Hispanic culture through music and art. 5:30-8:30 p.m. | 1803 N. Seventh St., Grand Junction | Free | 243-7337

October 9

Brian Regan

Premier comedian Brian Regan is sure to bring laughs at this socially distanced show held at the Amphitheater at Las Colonias Park. 7:30-10 p.m.| 925 Struthers Ave., Grand Junction | $35 | www.theampgj.com/events

October 10

Spring Bulb Planting

Plant hundreds of daffodil and crocus bulbs in Mesa County Libraries’ Discovery Garden for next spring! Registration required online at www.mesacountylibraries.org. 10 a.m.-12 p.m. | 502 Ouray Ave., Grand Junction | 683-2423

October 10

Huntington’s Disease Q&A

Dr. Joel Kareus, local neurologist and specialist in Huntington’s disease, shares current treatments and

October 7

Virtual Vintage Toys

October 4

Transit Union Convoy

October 5

Join others on a convoy from Fruita to Palisade, bringing attention to unanswered questions about the $5.4 million taxpayer-funded money the Amalgamated Transit District received. 1-5 p.m. | 612 24½ Road, Grand Junction | trador58@gmail.com

970West Artist in Residence Evan Curtis shares a virtual presentation of his vintage toys as a part of Mesa County Libraries’ Comic Con. Register online for Zoom link. 6 p.m. | wwwmesacounty libraries.libcal.com/ event/7001155 | 243-4442

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research at the First United Methodist Church. Please RSVP. 10 a.m. | 522 White Ave., Grand Junction | 250-1997

October 10

McDonald Creek hike

Meet at McDonald Creek Trailhead in Rabbit Valley for a 4-mile hike with a BLM archaeologist alongside historic rock art panels. 9 a.m.-3 p.m. | Free | www.colorado canyonsassociation.org/events | 263-7902

October 10

Trap, Neuter & Return

Roice-Hurst Human Society teaches how to be part of the cat overpopulation solution at the Center for Independence. RSVP to catproject@ rhhumanesociety.org. 3:30-5 p.m. | 740 Gunnison Ave., Grand Junction | 434-7337

October 10

Turkey Roost Car & Bike show Support veterans by coming out to the Eagles Lodge for a car and bike show. Food and beverages available for purchase in the parking lot. 9 a.m.-4 p.m. | 1674 US Hwy 50, Grand Junction | www.facebook. com/EaglesAerie595 | 250-9710

October 14

Job Fest Job Fair

Bring your resume and dress for success for Mesa County Workforce Center’s fall job fair. Veterans are exclusively welcomed for the first half hour. 10 a.m.-2 p.m. | 510 29 ½ Road, Grand Junction | www.connecting

colorado.com | 248-7560

October 15 Mini-Golf

River City Singles meets at Bananas Fun Park for an afternoon of putting. Come meet new friends! 4 p.m. | 2469 Riverside Parkway, Grand Junction | 623-4037

October 15

Grocery Boxes for Older Adults

Food Bank of the Rockies offers a monthly food box of groceries for eligible adults 60+ in Palisade. 1-3 p.m. | 120 N. River Road, Palisade | 464-1138

October 16 Star Party

Join the Western Colorado Astronomy Club on the Colorado National Monument for an excellent view of the night sky, weather-permitting. 6:45-8:45 p.m. | 1750 Rimrock Drive, Fruita | 812-3661

October 16

Senior Law Day: Medicaid Recapture

Drew Moore presents a free virtual law presentation as part of Senior Law Day. RSVP online. 10-11 a.m. | www.eventbrite. com/e/113397007502

October 17-18

Calcutta for a Cause Golf Tournament

Have fun while making a difference in kids’ lives with the golf tournament at Tiara Rado benefiting HopeWest Kids grief program.

Free Legal Advice for Seniors

1 p.m. | 2057 S. Broadway, Grand Junction | $200 | www.hopewestco. org/calcutta-for-a-cause | 241-2212

October 22

Laine Hardy in concert

This American Idol 2019 winner lights up the Warehouse 25sixty-five stage with a night of music and fun. 8 p.m. | 2565 American Way, Grand Junction | $20 | facebook.com/ Warehouse25sixtyfive/events

October 24

Final Band in Barrel Concert

Restoration Vineyards hosts its final concert for the season featuring AJ Fullerton. Food and wine available for purchase. 2-5 p.m. | 3594 E 1/2 Road, Palisade | Free | www.restorationvineyards. com | 985-0832

October 22

Paleontology hike

Meet at the Fruita Paleo Area to walk through time with a paleontologist for 1-2 miles of light hiking. 5:30-7 p.m. | Free | www.colorado canyonsassociation.org/events | 263-7902

October 23

Senior Law Day: Medicare 201 John Ahern with SHIP/RSVP presents a free virtual Medicare presentation as part of Senior Law Day. Preregister online. 10-11 a.m. | www.eventbrite. com/e/113397007502

October 28

sle-free home ownership for active adults 62+. Call to RSVP. 3:30 p.m. | 743 Horizon Drive, Grand Junction | Free | 628-3628

October 30

Senior Law Day: Wills & Trusts Lloyd Queensberry presents a free virtual law presentation as part of Senior Law Day. RSVP online. 10-11 a.m. | www.eventbrite. com/e/113397007502

October 31

Virtual Book Club

Meet virtually via Mesa County Libraries to discuss “Travel Light, Move Fast” by Alexandra Fuller with others who’ve read the book. 10:30-11:30 a.m. | meet.google.com/ hae-kwxj-qkt

October 29

Village Cooperative Seminar Come to the DoubleTree to learn about Village Cooperative’s has-

Halloween Murder Mystery

Castle Creek Manor presents an evening of fun and food while solving a murder mystery. Includes dinner for two, wine and a luxury suite. 5 p.m. | 683 Horizon Drive, Grand Junction | $225 | 241-9105 ■

See more events at www.BeaconSeniorNews.com

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WWW.BEACONSENIORNEWS.COM | OCTOBER 2020 | CALENDAR |

MeSa County

CLUBS

CLUBS & ACTIVITIES

Editor’s note: Some club meetings may be canceled due to COVID-19 safety measures and restrictions. Please contact organizers to confirm meeting details before attending.

Grand Junction Petroleum & Mining Club meets at Two Rivers Convention Center. 3rd Thursday | 6:30 p.m. | www.grandjunctionpmc.com

American Association of University Women meets monthly. Call for location. 2nd Saturday | 11:30 a.m. | 261-2112

Grand Junction Toastmasters meets at The Commons of Hilltop Garden Room in Grand Junction. Tuesdays | 6:45 a.m. | 241-1900

Bookcliff Duplicate Bridge Club plays at Unitarian Universalist Congregation in Grand Junction. Wednesdays & Fridays | 12:45 p.m. | 244-9989 Citizens’ Climate Lobby meets monthly online via Zoom. Check Facebook page for details and contact info. 250-4832 | grandjunction@citizens climatelobby.org | facebook.com/ CCLGJ

Cups Club meets at The Artful Cup in Grand Junction. Meet people through cards, games, talk and tea. Wednesdays | 2 p.m. | 257-2390

Grand Valley Pets Alive meets at Church of the Nativity in Grand Junction. 3rd Wednesdays | 4:30-6 p.m. | 462-7554 Grand Valley Woodcarvers meets at Redlands Methodist Church. 1st & 3rd Wednesdays, 6 p.m. | 2nd & 4th Wednesdays, 1 p.m. | 2458817 or 257-1549

Daughters of the American Revolution, Mount Garfield Chapter, meets October 10. 719-580-0948 Fleet Reserve Association meets at VFW #3981 in Grand Junction. All former, retired and active sea service, U.S. Navy, Marines or Coast Guard are welcome. 2nd Wednesday | 7 p.m. | 434-0868

Colorado Archaeological Society Grand Junction meets monthly. Call for location. 2nd Monday | 6:30-9 p.m. | 433-4312 | www.meetup.com/CAS-GJ/events Crafting Club meets at Clifton Library. 3rd Tuesday | 2-3 p.m. | 434-6936 Cribbage Lite meets at IHOP. Tuesdays | 5:30 p.m. | 201-7823

Friendship Force meets at First Baptist Church in Grand Junction. 3rd Thursday | 6:15 p.m. | 778-6191 | www.ffwcolo.com Gem & Mineral Club meets at 2328 Monument Road in Grand Junction. 2nd Thursday, 7 p.m. | 4th Thursday, 6:30 p.m. | grandjunctionrock club@gmail.com Golden K Kiwanis meets at the Redlands Community Center. Wednesdays | 9-10 a.m. | facebook.com/gjgoldenk

Mesa County Genealogical Society meets at various locations. www.mesacountygenealogy.org Newcomers Club meets at First Christian Church in Grand Junction. 2nd Wednesday | 9:30 a.m. | 549-0440 | www.gjnewcomers.org Not Going Quietly meets at Center for Spiritual Living Grand Junction. This group creates a space of empowerment, grace, community and wisdom for those age 60 and older. 2nd & 4th Tuesdays | 1:30-3:30 p.m. | 433-7799 Orchard Mesa Lions Club meets twice monthly. Call for location. 1st & 3rd Monday | 7 p.m. | 208-9228

Grand Valley Woodturners meets at Redlands Methodist Church. 2nd Tuesday | 7 p.m. | 245-8817 or 856-3632 Great Old Broads for Wilderness, Grand Junction Area Chapter, meets monthly. Call for details. 596-8510 Guys’ Giving Club meets quarterly at Springhill Suites in Grand Junction. Members donate $100 at each meeting and are invited to nominate a local charity to receive the evening’s total contributions. 1st Tuesdays in February, May, August, November | 5:15 p.m. | 243-8829 or 270-6184 Knitting Club meets at Community of Christ Church in Grand Junction. 4th Tuesday | 6:30-8 p.m. | 623-1455

Outing Club meets for hiking, biking, skiing and other activities. Call for more dates and details. 801-638-8707 River City Singles meet regularly at Canyon View Park in Grand Junction. These young-at-heart adults get together for activities throughout the month. Fridays | $20/year | 242-2807 Rotary Club of Grand Junction meets weekly at the Bookcliff Country Club. Wednesdays | 12-1:15 p.m | 2345030.

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46 | CLUBS & ACTIVITIES | OCTOBER 2020 |

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Sons of Norway, Vestafjell Lodge, meets at Shepherd of the Valley Lutheran Church in Grand Junction. 2nd Saturday | 1:30 p.m. | 245-5649 | www.vestafjelllodge.org Sweet Adelines International, Grand Mesa A Capella Chorus, rehearses at Redlands United Methodist Church. Currently, meetings are held over Zoom. Call for an invite. Mondays | 6:30-9 p.m. | 256-9763 | www.grandmesaacappella.com

FUN AFTER 50

Center. Thursdays | 261-1670 Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) #3981 meets at the Post Hall, 503 Florence Road, in Grand Junction. 1st Wednesday | 5:30 p.m. | 778-8242 Western Colorado Amateur Radio Club meets at the Civil Patrol Hangar, 2868 Aviators Way. 2nd Saturday | 9:30 a.m. | www.w0rrz.org

Western Slope Coin Club meets at VFW #1247 in Grand Junction. 4th Tuesday | Free currency evaluation at 5:30 p.m. | Meeting at 6:30 p.m. | 250-7036

Talk of the Town Toastmasters meets weekly. Call for location. Thursdays | 12 p.m. | 250-3969

Western Slope Liberty Toastmasters meets at Chronos Builders, 637 25 Road, Grand Junction. 1st & 3rd Tuesdays | 6:30-8 p.m. | 661-974-9904

Two Rivers Cribbage Club meets at Grand Junction Masonic

Email your club information to: Beacon@PendantPublishing.com

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HEALTH

Silver Sneakers Program Now available in GJ

HIGH Fitness

SOS: Singles over 65 is a gender-balanced club for seniors who may be single, retired, new in town or not! 775-400-8700 | $20/year | www. meetup.com/singles-over-65

Wheels West Car Club meets at the Whitman Center, Museum of Western Colorado. 1st Saturday | 9 a.m. | www.wheelswestcarclub.org â–

Pick up an early fall activity guide at the Grand Junction Parks & Rec office

Thursdays

Western Colorado Astronomy Club meets at Mesa County Librariesâ€™ Central Branch. 1st Tuesday | 6 p.m. | 201-2865 | www.wcacastronomy.org Western Colorado Decorative Artists meets at First Congregational Church in Grand Junction. 2nd Saturday | 9 a.m. | 640-275

Thunder Mountain Camera Club meets at Western Colorado Community College, Building B. 4th Tuesday | 7 p.m. | www.thunder mountaincameraclub.org

To register for programs, and for COVID-19 updates, call Grand Junction Parks and Recreation at 254-3866 or visit www.gjparksandrec.org.

HIGH Fitness transforms old school aerobics into a new fitness experience that combines simple, modern fitness techniques including cardio and strength training with music you know and love. 6:15-7:15 p.m. | Bookcliff Activity Center | $50 punch pass, $6 drop in

DANCE Mondays

Line dancing

Tuesdays & Fridays

Rise and Grind Bootcamp

Use intervals and circuit training to work up a sweat, build and tone muscle, and enhance your cardio. All abilities are welcome. Bring water and a mat. 6-7 a.m. | Stocker Stadium | $50 punch pass, $6 drop in

Tuesdays & Fridays Gentle Active Yoga

Calling all adults 65+! The Silver Sneakers Program is now available for use at Grand Junction Parks and Recreation facilities. Many insurance plans provide free membership. Visit www.silversneakers.com or call 2543866 to see if you qualify.

This yoga class is designed for active beginners and above. 8-9 a.m. | Senior Recreation Center | $50 punch pass, $7 drop in

Dancers of all abilities welcome. No partner necessary. Current session runs through October 19. 12:15-2 p.m. | Senior Recreation Center | $5 drop in

SPORT Pool Opening

Orchard Mesa Pool open through December

The Orchard Mesa Pool opened on September 28, and will remain open to the public through December 19, 2020. The water slide and hot tub remain closed.

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WWW.BEACONSENIORNEWS.COM | OCTOBER 2020 | CLUBS & ACTIVITIES |

MeSa County

BEACON BITS BEACON BITS Shiao wins Women Who Make History Award

Editor’s note: Some events may be canceled or rescheduled due to COVID-19 safety measures and restrictions. Please contact event organizers to confirm event details before attending. Free Medicare help with Mesa County SHIP Let state-certified volunteers help you navigate the confusing world of Medicare and government health insurance during Medicare Open Enrollment (October 15 through December 7). This year, Mesa County SHIP won’t be seeing clients in person, but will still conduct telephone appointments to help clients review and change their plans. Call 243-9839, opt. 1 and leave a message. A SHIP counselor will return your call. New family physician at Primary Care Partners Joe Kanopsic, MD, has joined Family Physicians of Western Col-

orado located in the Primary Care Partners Building, 3150 N. 12th St., Grand Junction. Dr. Kanopsic finished his medical doctorate at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences and then completed St. Mary’s Family Medicine Residency. He is accepting new patients. Schedule by calling 245-1220. Veteran Artist of Month The Western Region One Source (WROS) announced Donna Fullerton as the newest Veteran Artist of the Month. Fullerton is a Grand Junction resident whose photography has been published or featured in multiple magazines. A reception will be held on October 9, 4:306:30 p.m., and a mix of her work is

The Grand Junction Branch of American Association of University Women (AAUW) presented Michelle Shiao of St. Mary’s Medical Center with its Women Who Make History award. This award recognizes women who’ve made a significant difference to the Grand Junction community. Shiao joined St. Mary’s in 2008, and has since been promoted to Director of Critical Care Services, CareFlight of the Rockies and Emergency Services. Shiao has served with St. Mary’s Foundation Board, Colorado Organization of Nurse Leaders and recently HopeWest Board. on display at the WROS through October 9. Interested veterans with artwork can call 257-3764 to be considered for future displays. Parks and Rec wins AARP grant Grand Junction Parks & Recreation

Celebrate Comic Con at home Join local fans for a celebration of all things fandom in this year’s virtual Mesa County Libraries Comic Con. For more information, call 243-4442 or visit www. mesacountylibraries.org/comiccon. • October 1-28: Comic Con Art Show at the Central Library • October 1-31: All Ages Graphic Novel Reading Challenge • October 2-9: Comic Con Take and Make (available while supplies last)

• October 6 at 2 p.m.: Comic Con Story Time • October 7 at 10 a.m.: Comic Con Story Time in Spanish • October 7 at 6 p.m.: Vintage Toys with Artist in Residence Evan Curtis • October 10: Cosplay Contest video release • October 16 at 4 p.m.: Comic Con Teen Trivia

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48 | BEACON BITS | OCTOBER 2020 |

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received a $15,000 AARP Community Challenge grant, which will allow them to install an outdoor fourpiece fitness circuit at Sherwood Park. The installation for the circuit is expected to be completed in late fall 2020, and the department will offer free clinics to teach the public how to use the circuit for their workouts. New Director of Culinary Services of The Lodge The Lodge at Grand Junction announced veteran chef Char Cordova as the community’s new Director of Culinary Services. Cordova earned her associate degree in culinary arts and restaurant management from Scottsdale Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary

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Arts. Earlier in her 20-year career, Cordova owned and operated her own café in Montrose. Now living in Palisade, Cordova is looking forward to providing residents with restaurant-quality food and service. Senior Law Day goes virtual Colorado Legal Services and the Area Agency on Aging of Northwest Colorado are proud to present the Virtual Senior Law Series. Professionals present informative virtual seminars for seniors and their caregivers on legal topics. Participants receive a free 2020 Senior Law book plus the opportunity for a 15-minute one-onone consult with an attorney. All presentations are free and run from 10-11 a.m. Attendees must register in advance at www.eventbrite. com/e/113397007502. • October 9 – Powers of Attorney & Advanced Directives • October 16 – Medicaid Recapture • October 23 – Medicare 201

• October 30 – Wills & Trusts • November 6 – Long-Term Care Medicaid • November 13 – End of Life Planning • November 20 – Titling Assets and Beneficiary • December 4 – What You Need to Know When Someone Dies Report random acts of kindness The Western Slope chapter of NAMI is looking to promote kindness and positivity within our community. When you see an incredible act of kindness, call 211 or email namiwesternslope@gmail. com to share your story. Tell them about the kindness you see around you, or create your own acts of kindness! ■

Email your news briefs to: Beacon@PendantPublishing.com

VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES Mesa County RSVP connects individuals 55 and older to volunteer positions in any of our member agencies. Call 243-9839, ext. 5 Grand Junction Visitor Center seeks volunteer tourism ambassadors to welcome visitors to the Grand Valley. Flexible schedule. 256-4054 | kerryg@gjcity.org MOPS Kids (Mothers of Preschoolers) is looking for volunteers to watch children for several hours a month during MOPS meetings at Canyon View Vineyard Church in Grand Junction 2nd & 4th Wednesdays | 9-11:30 a.m. | 549-6637 Palisade Historical Society welcomes volunteers who would like to share the history of Palisade, and/or work on various commit-

tees and projects. Email pbwalker630@acsol.net Foster Grandparents are needed in nonprofit school classrooms throughout Mesa County. Applicants must be 55+ and may be eligible for a tax-free stipend. Call 298-9092 Senior Companions 55+ are needed to provide friendship and drive homebound seniors to errands and appointments. Call 298-9092 Mesa County Spellbinders is looking for volunteers to learn a few storytelling skills and make a difference in children’s lives. Tell stories to students in kindergarten through fifth grade once a month during the school year. Call 243-7303

Question

OF THE

Month

Compiled by Melanie Wiseman

What’s the funniest prank or surprise you’ve ever pulled? Debbie Lovato “Never. I don’t like it when people pull pranks on other people, because the prankster is laughing at the other person at their expense. I think it’s mean.”

Eric Maata “For his retirement, I was asked to roast my Ph.D. advisor—a gruff, no-nonsense ex-Marine who called his grad students ‘troops.’ I titled my presentation ‘Rupert Archibald Drake Wentworth: A Selective Oral Biography, or R.A.D.W. - S.O.B.’ for short. The packed auditorium roared, including Prof. Wentworth.”

Marci Carron “I bought leopard underwear for my elderly mom for Christmas and labeled the package as if it were from my sister’s new boyfriend. It was so funny as she opened it in front of everyone, read the card and just looked at him—all while he kept saying ‘I didn’t get you those!’”

Don Aust “I noticed a friend’s motorhome parked on the street and called pretending to be a police officer letting him know that a trash truck had collided with it. He said he’d be right there, but I told him to wait until the fire department extinguished the fire! Then he really panicked, until I identified myself. We both laughed for a long time.”

WWW.BEACONSENIORNEWS.COM | OCTOBER 2020 | BEACON BITS |

CALENDAR SUPPORT GROUPS

Montrose MeSa & Delta County

Editor’s note: Some support group meetings may be canceled due to COVID-19 safety measures and restrictions. Please contact organizers to confirm meeting details before attending. Alcoholics Anonymous meets weekly in various locations. Mondays | contact@aa-western colorado.com | 245-9649 Caregiver Connections meets at the Miller Homestead at HopeWest. Tuesdays | 10-11:30 a.m. | 241-2212 Caregiver Support Group meets at Cappella Grand Junction, 628 26 1/2 Road. Call to RSVP. 1st Thursday | 1:30-3 p.m. | 822-7070 Compassionate Friends offers friendship and understanding to bereaved parents, siblings and grandparents at Unity Church. 1st Tuesday | 7-8:30 p.m. | 434-3822 COPD Support Group meets at 581 Grand Valley Drive in Grand Junction. 4th Friday | 2 p.m. | 317-7556 | jimcampbell3@aol.com Gamblers Anonymous, a 12-step meeting to help compulsive gamblers recover, is held at The Meeting Hall, 1938 N. First St. in Grand Junction. Tuesdays | 7-8 p.m. | 917-363-3719

GriefShare, a nondenominational Christ-based support group for those mourning the death of a loved one, meets at Clifton Christian Church, 3241 F ¼ Road. Mondays | 6:30-8:30 p.m. | 628-1453 Grief Group for Pets meets at Roice-Hurst Humane Society. 2nd Wednesday, bi-monthly | 6-7 p.m. | 434-7337, ext. 103 Head & Neck Cancer Support Group meets at Colorado West Otolaryngologists. 1st Tuesday | 6:30-8 p.m. | 245-2400 Healing Hands Hour meets in St. Mary’s Hospital’s Reflection Room. Thursdays | 12-1 p.m. | 298-2351 HEARTBEAT/Survivors After Suicide meets at First Congregational Church. 3rd Tuesday | 7-9 p.m. | 778-9274 or 241-4349 Job Searching After 50 Networking Group meets at Mesa County Workforce Center. To attend, you must register as a job seeker at www.

50 | SUPPORT GROUPS | OCTOBER 2020 |

WWW.BEACONSENIORNEWS.COM

connectingcolorado.com. 1st & 3rd Thursdays | 8:30-10 a.m. | 248-7560 Leukemia, Lymphoma & Myeloma Support Group meets monthly in St. Mary’s Hospital’s Reflection Room. 3rd Monday | 4-5 p.m. | 298-2351 MACHO Men cancer support group meets at the VA Medical Center In-Patient Dining Room. 1st Thursday | 2 p.m. | 298-2351 Mending Hearts is for any adult who has experienced the death of a loved one. Thursdays | 2-3:30 p.m. | 257-2390 MS Breakfast Group meets at Village Inn, 757 Horizon Drive. 1st Tuesday | 9 a.m. | 985-4935 National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) offers support for family members of adults who have a serious mental illness and connection groups for adults living with a mental illness. Now meets at Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Fruita. 4th Tuesday | 6-7:30 p.m. | www.NAMIWS.org | 462-3989 Parents of Addicted Loved Ones meets at First Presbyterian Church. Thursdays | 6:30 p.m. | 379-5786

TOPS Club weight-loss support group meets at Grace Point Church in Grand Junction. Wednesdays | 9 a.m. | 523-0243 Veteran Peer Support meets weekly at Western Region One Source, 428 28 Road. Wednesdays | 2-3 p.m. | 257-3764 Veteran Spouses Grief and Loss ladies-only support group meets at the Veterans Memorial Cemetary in Grand Junction. Wednesdays | 9-10:30 a.m. | 263-8986 Western Slope Visionaries, a low-vision support group, meets at Center for Independence. Transportation is available. 3rd Wednesday | 9:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. | 241-0315 Woman to Woman cancer support group meets in St. Mary’s Hospital’s Reflection Room. 3rd Thursday | 4:30-5:30 p.m. | 298-2351 Yoga For Life meets at the St. Mary’s Life Center Aerobics Room. Tuesdays | 5:30-6:45 p.m. | 298-2351 ■ Email your support group information to:

Beacon@PendantPublishing.com

Before you enroll in a Medicare plan, visit a Rocky Mountain Health Plans Resource Center. Enrolling in a Medicare plan that fits your needs starts with finding the right information. The Rocky Mountain Health Plans Resource Center is a great place to start. Stop by when it fits your schedule to speak with an agent one-on-one and get answers to your Medicare questions. Space may be limited. Your safety is our top priority, and we will adhere to all CDC safety guidelines.

Visit Us. Medicare Resource Center 327 N. 7th Street Grand Junction, CO 81501 970-243-3100 8 a.m. – 6 p.m. Monday – Saturday Free Parking in Back What to bring: • Your questions for a Rocky Mountain Health Plans licensed sales agent • Your Medicare ID card • A list of your doctors and prescription medications • Your application, if you’ve completed it — you can simply drop it off

Montrose & Delta

CALENDAR

Editor’s note: Some events may be canceled or rescheduled due to COVID-19 safety measures and restrictions. Please contact event organizers to confirm event details before attending.

Elks Lodge for a bingo night benefiting the Montrose Center for the Arts silent auction and bake sale. 5-8 p.m. | 801 S. Hillcrest Drive, Montrose | 249-4852

October 1-31

October 2-3

October 8-10

View works by colleagues, teachers and students who have enriched Daphna Russell’s 35 years as a successful artist in Delta County. 10 a.m.-4 p.m. | 195 W. Main St., Cedaredge | Free | www.grandmesaartscenter.com

Wear pink and support breast cancer awareness. Register online, pick up your shirts at the San Juan Cancer Center, and post your photo to Facebook. 11 a.m. | 645 S. Fifth St., Montrose | $33 | www.bosombuddiesswc.org

This three-day workshop introduces artists to pastels and the fundamentals of capturing the 3D world of nature at the Montrose Center for the Arts. 10 a.m.-1 p.m. | 10 S. Park Ave., Montrose | $125 | montrosecenter 4arts@gmail.com | 787-9428

Daphna and Friends Sculptures

Bosom Buddies Virtual 5k

October 1-4

October 2-3, 9-10

New Leaf Coaching hosts a mindful nature retreat for women. Journey to Utah for hiking, yoga and art sessions in the beauty of the desert. 5 p.m. | $300 | www.newleafpath. com | 719-293-4600

Magic Circle Players presents both a live and virtual showing of a comedic interaction between bridge-playing friends and their inept bank robber captors. Fridays at 7:30 p.m. | Saturdays at 2 p.m. & 7:30 p.m. | 420 S. 12th St., Montrose | 249-7838

Mindfulness retreat

October 2

Happy Hour Concert

Join David Starr and Erik Stucky for a Happy Hour outdoor song swap next to the Grand Mesa Arts & Events Center. Bring a lawn chair; beverages available for purchase. 4-7 p.m. | 195 W. Main St., Cedaredge | Free | www.grandmesaartscenter.com

October 2

Fingernoise Chamber Orchestra

Crested Butte Music Festival presents the Fingernoise Chamber Orchestra performing Bach and Vivaldi. 5-7 p.m. | 606 Sixth St., Crested Butte | $40 | www.crestedbutte musicfestival.org

“You Can’t Be Too Careful”

October 3

Flu Shot Clinic

Delta County Memorial Hospital offers walk-through and drive-through flu shot options. 8 a.m.-12 p.m. | 100 Stafford Lane, Delta | $20-$55 | www.deltahospital. org/2020_flu_shot_clinics | 874-2165

October 3

Wright Summer Faire

The Wright Opera House hosts a market featuring handcrafted wares from Ouray County artists. 12-4 p.m. | 472 Main St., Ouray | 352-4399

October 24th, 2020 Order your Oktoberfest Party Pack & learn more at

MontroseBeerFest.com 52 | CALENDAR | OCTOBER 2020 |

WWW.BEACONSENIORNEWS.COM

Capturing landscape in pastels

October 6

ARTbar: Autumn Aspens

Create a colorful aspen forest using impressionist technique at the Sherbino Theater with instructor Anne Hockenberry. 6-8 p.m. | 604 Clinton St., Ridgway | $40 | www.facebook. com/weehawkenarts

October 7

Women in Business

KVNF CAB and Second Saturday Stroll host a “Rally ‘round Small Business” for women in business through the Delta Area Chamber of Commerce. 7 p.m. | 459 Main St., Delta | 874-8616 | www.deltacolorado.org

October 7

Vaccines Q&A

University of Colorado presents an online Mini Med series, where faculty member JJ Cohen answers your questions on vaccines. Register beforehand. 6-7 p.m. | Free | SOM.MiniMed@ cuanschutz.edu | 303-724-0348

October 8

Bingo Fundraiser

Bring your dabbers to the Montrose

October 10 Ganja Yoga

Join others for two hours of elevated yoga relaxation through the Growing Organic Apothecary. Location provided upon registration. 3-5 p.m. | Montrose | $30-$40 | www.growingorganic.com/events | 720-724-8547

October 10

Bob Miller Memorial Golf Tournament

Bring your clubs to Bridges Golf and Country Club for the annual memorial golf tournament, which will include breakfast, lunch and prizes. Funds raised go to Telluride Adaptive Sports Program. 10 a.m.-4 p.m. | 2500 Bridges Circle, Montrose | facebook.com/Telluride AdaptiveSports

October 11 Fall Festival

Montrose United Methodist Church hosts a free festival featuring crafts,

FUN AFTER 50

games and activities for all ages. 12:30-3 p.m. | 19 S. Park Ave., Montrose | familyministries@ montroseumc.org | 249-3716

7-9 p.m. | 195 W. Main St., Cedaredge | $20 | www.grandmesa artscenter.com/events | 856-9195

October 11

Voices in Art

Tony Rosario Live

Tony Rosario performs live music on Stoik Beer Company’s patio. Pair craft beers with food from Southern Belle food truck, available for purchase. 1-4 p.m. | 1064 S. Main St., Delta | 399-3168

October 21

Social Security Webinar

AARP presents a free webinar to help you understand your Social Security benefits. Register online. 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m. | https://aarp. cvent.com/TipsandTools

October 24

October 28

Join on Zoom for a series of artist talks “Voces en Arte” discussing the importance of Native, Mexicano and Chicano art in the state of Colorado. 6-7 p.m. | www.historycolorado center.org | Free | 303-447-8679 ■

October 30

Rock n’ Glow Yoga

Join instructor Melissa Lowe at Yoga House for a fun flow set to upbeat music on the eve of Halloween! Wear your favorite neon yoga gear. 7-8 p.m. | 207 E. Main St., Montrose | $15 | 462-9977

To register for programs and for COVID-19 updates, call 249-7705 or visit www.montroserec.com

TRIPS & TOURS October 1

Hike Uncompahgre Plateau Hike four miles through aspen trees with mountain views at 8 a.m. Bring a sack lunch.

October 13

State Ballot Issues

October 27

Medicare changes

Learn how to get the most out of your Medicare benefits at 11 a.m. Preregister at 252-4884.

CLUBS October 15

Learn about 11 statewide ballot issues from the nonpartisan League of Women Voters at 11 a.m. Preregister at 252-4884.

80s & 90s Club

Meet with friends your own age for socializing and fun at 10 a.m.

IN THE NA M E O F L OV E , LET’S FIND A CURE

Oktoberfest

All Points Transit is bringing the festivities to your homes with a virtual costume contest and more! Order your party pack online and benefit a good cause. www.montrosebeerfest.com | 2490128

Marked in countries around the world, October is Breast

October 24

Cancer Awareness month. Thousands of women have lost

Concert featuring Dana Cooper & David Starr

their lives from this dreadful disease. With increased attention

Live music returns to Cedaredge with award-winning songwriter Dana Cooper and guest David Starr.

and support for the awareness of early detection and treatment, thousands more are also surviving. We salute the efforts of every daughter, sister, wife, mother

See more events at www.BeaconSeniorNews.com

and friend valiantly fighting this disease, the families supporting them and the healthcare professionals working to find a cure for Breast Cancer.

Don't ignore varicose veins! If left untreated blood clots can travel to the heart or brain.

When you need us, we’ll be here.” - Chalmer & Marge Swain

Performed by Dr. Merkel who has 25 years of personal training, teaching and experience. Treatment from the groin to the ankle, not just the thigh. No scar, no incision and minimal downtime and pain. Laser ablation is often combined with chemical ablation (sclerotherapy) for maximum effect. Performed with local anesthesia & IV sedation. Safety is our priority; patient's vitals monitored during procedure.

Call for a consult today. 970-242-9127. DoctorMerkel.com

Delta 874-9988

Hotchkiss 872-3151

Cedaredge 856-3232

Paonia 527-3836

www.taylorfuneralservice.com WWW.BEACONSENIORNEWS.COM | OCTOBER 2020 | CALENDAR |

Montrose & Delta

CLUBS

Editor’s note: Some club meetings may be canceled due to COVID-19 safety measures and restrictions. Please contact organizers to confirm meeting details before attending. Alpine Photography Club meets at Colorado Mesa University’s Montrose Campus, classroom 100. 2nd Tuesday | 7-9 p.m. | apcmontroseco@gmail.com

Citizens Climate Lobby meets monthly at the Montrose Library meeting room. 240-9146 | montrose@citizens climatelobby.org | www.citizens climatelobby.org

Black Canyon Barbershop Chorus sings four-part acappella at Olathe United Methodist Church. Thursdays | 7-8:30 p.m. | 765-7020

Come Back Yoga is open to veterans and their spouses at Western Region One Source. Wednesdays | 2:15-3:15 p.m. | 257-3764

Book Club meets virtually through the Montrose Regional Library. 1st Saturday | 9-10 a.m. | lmclean@montroselibrary.org

1st, 2nd & 3rd Wednesdays | 2:30-4:30 p.m. | 249-9656 Delta Hubwheelers Square Dance Club is seeking new dancers. Call if interested in future square dancing classes. 7-9 p.m. | 773-4495 | deltawriter47@gmail.com Friendship Quilters of Western Colorado meet monthly in the Pioneer Room of Friendship Hall at the Montrose County Fairgrounds. 4th Thursday | 9 a.m. | 417-4842

Crafternoon members meet in the Montrose Library’s meeting room. Members knit and crochet projects, which they donate to various charities. Supplies are provided, but yarn donations are always welcome. Experienced crafters will help beginners.

Change is in the Air It’s in our nature to be resistant to change. We can improve our health with physical and occupational therapy whether it’s short and long term care. Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed and professional caregivers can change the world. It happens everyday at Colorow.

Montrose Amateur Radio Club meets at the Olathe Community Center. 3rd Friday | 7 p.m. | 417-6142

Montrose Area Woodturners meets at 520 Collins Way in Montrose. 2nd Saturday | 9 a.m. to noon | 986-2550 | lvcribbs@charter.net Montrose Elks hosts bingo at the Montrose Elks Lodge, 801 S. Hillcrest Drive. Tuesdays | 6:30 p.m. | 249-4852 Montrose Pavilion Dance Club hosts dances at the Montrose Pavilion. Dancers of all ages are welcome. Bring a snack to share. 2nd & 4th Saturdays | $5 | 7:30-11 p.m. | 252-7172

Seniors and Retirees have Different Real Estate Needs We help buyers and sellers transition into the next phase of life. The Real Estate Store has the highest number of certified Senior Specialists in one office in Western Colorado.

Come See and Feel the Difference

Leslie Gore

Michelle Klippert

Peg Evanoika

Senior Real Estate Specialist

lesliegorerealtor@ gmail.com

michelleklippertrealtor@ gmail.com

realtor@ pegevanoika.com

(970) 275-3195

855 S. Hwy 50 Business Loop Olathe, CO 81425

970.323.5504

(970) 275-3016

(970) 249-7653

www.vivage.com/Colorow

500 E. Main St. Montrose, CO 81401 www.the-res.com

We Accept: • Medicare • Medicaid • RMHMO • Private Pay • PACE • And More

54 | CLUBS & ACTIVITIES | OCTOBER 2020 |

WWW.BEACONSENIORNEWS.COM

Personal, Professional, Property Brokers

(970) 209-3934

San Juan Dance Club offers eight styles of dance lessons at the Lions Clubhouse in Montrose. Singles are welcome. Thursdays | 6:30-9:30 p.m. | 252-9600 | patdouglas213@ yahoo.com

Sons of Norway, Vestafjell Lodge, meets monthly at Shepherd of the Valley Lutheran Church in Grand Junction. 1:30 p.m. | 245-5649 | www.vestafjelllodge.org

Question

Veteran Coffee Club meets at Western Region One Source. Wednesdays | 8:30-10:30 a.m. | 257-3764

Month

Compiled by Siggie Carpenter

Western Slope 4 Wheelers meets at the Montrose Rod & Gun Club’s indoor range, 1211 6450 Road. 1st Tuesday | 7 p.m. | 209-5326 Women’s Giving Club of Montrose meets quarterly at The Bridges Country Club. Members donate $100 at each meeting and are invited to nominate a local charity to receive the evening’s total contributions. 1st Monday in February, May, August, November | 5:30 p.m. | givingclubofmontrose@gmail.com ■

Email your club information to: Beacon@PendantPublishing.com

OF THE

What’s the funniest prank or surprise you’ve ever pulled? Ernest Kolonick - Delta “Eight years ago, I picked up my girlfriend to volunteer at a church activity. Little did she know, I’d made all of the arrangements for a surprise wedding. The look on her face made me really nervous at first until she smiled and said, ‘Yes.’ No other surprise since has topped that one!”

Nicci Robbins - Montrose “I started a rumor that my son lost his frog in my office—I never said it was a real frog. Our IT Director gathered a crew and searched intently for hours, moving office furniture for that greenish brown frog named Toad. Some said they heard croaking sounds. Our CEO, who was part of the prank, was so impressed in the success of the team building exercise that the story of the elusive toad still lingers.”

Dottie Wire - Montrose

Here to support you through life’s most difficult times so you can focus on what’s most important – each other.

“One April Fool’s Day, my sister Teresa and I told our siblings we had a big fight and she kicked me out of the house. Only our brother-in-law, Filo, was genuinely concerned until we said ‘April Fools!’ He didn’t think it was funny at all and grumbled something as he stomped off. Since many of our family members have passed away, the memory of that day is even sweeter now. We still like to stir things up every chance we get!”

Tom Barkley - Eckert “If I shared with you the pranks I’ve pulled, I’d be in a whole lot of trouble! Thanks, but no thanks.”

(970) 241-2212 • HopeWestCO.org WWW.BEACONSENIORNEWS.COM | OCTOBER 2020 | CLUBS & ACTIVITIES |

Montrose Montrose & & Delta Delta

BEACON BITS BEACON BITS

Editor’s note: Some events may be canceled or rescheduled due to COVID-19 safety measures and restrictions. Please contact event organizers to confirm event details before attending. Black Canyon Quilt Show goes virtual View entries for this year’s show at ww.blackcanyon quiltshow.com. Browse for quilted gifts in the boutique section, or view close-up details of this year’s raffle quilt, “Anniversary Bouquet,” a Quiltworx design sized 102-by-102 inches. Raffle tickets are available online in multiples of 10 for $10. The drawing will be held at Friendship Hall at 9:30 a.m. on December 17. Need not be present to win.

Electronic ballot voting for those with disabilities Registered Colorado voters who have a disability as defined by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) can vote via an electronic ballot independently and privately from their own home using the assistive technology with which they are most comfortable. While many voters with disabilities can privately and independently mark their printed mail ballots without difficulty,

Elks honor local men with Medal of Valor On September 11, Montrose Elks Lodge #1053 recognized Montrose Fire Chief Tad Rowan, Montrose Police Chief Blaine Hall, Montrose County Sheriff Gene Lillard, State Patrol Captain James Saunders and Montrose County Coroner Dr. Thomas Canfield with the Elk Medal of Valor, an award commemorating and memorializing contributions to our communities. The medals represent the Elks’ collective admiration for the dedication and self-sacrifice the recipients have shown to make Montrose County and the U.S. a superior place in which to live and work.

56 | BEACON BITS | OCTOBER 2020 |

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Dr. Gayle Frazzetta presented humanitarian award Gayle Frazzetta, MD, FAAFP, CCD, is the recipient of this year’s COPIC Humanitarian Award. The annual award recognizes a physician in Colorado who has gone above the scope of their practice to volunteer and make a difference in their community. Dr. Frazzetta has been an active health advocate in Montrose’s school district for the past 20 years, as well as a leader in local youth activities. The recognition includes a $10,000 award to be given to the health-related nonprofit of the recipient’s choice. Dr. Frazzetta chose the San Juan Healthcare Foundation to receive the award’s donation to support health services in the Montrose schools. there are voters—including those who are blind or print disabled— who cannot. Such voters will need a computer, smartphone or tablet; an Internet connection; and a printer. Go to https://myballot.sos.colorado. gov for a step-by-step process to vote and return your ballot. Blind voters can send emails to voting@ nfbco.org or call for assistance at 303-778-1130, ext. 219.

nonprofit organization was formed to advocate, promote and protect business interests in Montrose. Twelve local leaders are investing their time and expertise as inaugural board members from October 1 through December 31, 2021. For information, visit www.greater montrosechamber.com or email info@greatermontrosechamber. com.

New Greater Montrose Area Chamber of Commerce A group of local business leaders headed by Tonya Maddox, CEO of Our Town Matters, announced the formation of the Greater Montrose Area Chamber of Commerce. The

Public comment open on Colorado’s 2021 legislation Colorado minimum wage, currently $12, will adjust for inflation on January 1, 2021 to $12.32. The comment period on the rule—and other recently enacted laws on

FUN AFTER 50

paid sick days, whistleblowing and PPE use, and equal pay requirements—is now open. Final rules will be adopted by November 10 to be effective January 1. The public may provide comments on any of these matters between now and November 5 in writing or at a virtual public hearing on November 2. Comments can be submitted to the Division of Labor Standards and Statistics at michael.primo@state.co.us. Senior Law Day goes virtual Colorado Legal Services and the Area Agency on Aging of Northwest Colorado are proud to present the Virtual Senior Law Series. Professionals present informative virtual seminars for seniors and their caregivers on legal topics. Participants receive a free 2020 Senior Law book plus the opportunity for a one-on-one consultation. All presentations are free and run from 10-11 a.m. Attendees must register in advance online at www. eventbrite.com/e/113397007502. • October 9 – POA’ & Advanced Directives • October 16 – Medicaid Recapture • October 23 – Medicare 201 • October 30 – Wills & Trusts • November 6 – Long Term Care Medicaid • November 13 – End of Life Planning • November 20 – Titling Assets and Beneficiary • December 4 – What You Need to Know When Someone Dies ■

To register for programs and for COVID-19 updates, call 874-0923 or visit

SUPPORT GROUPS Delta Diabetes Support Group meets at Grand Mesa Oncology’s Crag Crest room. 2nd Monday | 2:30-3:30 p.m. | 874-6410

www.cityofdelta.net/parksrecgolf

8-10 a.m. MW | 9-10 a.m. F

Stroke & Brain Injury Survivor Support Group meets at Rocky Mountain Therapy Services in Montrose. September 16 | 5:30-6:30 P.M. | 249-6920

VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES

Tabata

Senior CommUnity Meals needs volunteer delivery drivers to help seniors in Delta and Montrose counties. www.seniorcommunitymeals.org | 874-7661 Friends of Montrose Library seeks volunteers to sort donated books, run book sales and serve on its board of directors. Meetings are held once a month. Call 249-9656 Museum of the Mountain West seeks volunteer tour guides to bring the past to life for visitors. Call 240-3400

5:30-6:15 p.m. W

Senior Circuit Pilates

Sharing Ministries Food Bank in Montrose seeks dedicated volunteers for three hours, one day a week. Call 240-8385

Yoga Fusion

FITNESS

12-12:45 p.m. M | 9-10 a.m. F

Silver Sneakers Classic

Body Bar and Abs 6-7 a.m. W

Spin-Bata

5:30-6:15 p.m. W | 6-6:45 a.m. F

10-10:45 a.m. | T TH

DANCE

Body Blitz

5:30-6:30 p.m. T | 9-10 a.m. TH

Dance fit

5:30-6:30 p.m. TH

12:15-12:45 p.m. T TH

COMPASSION — NOT CANCELLED QUIET TIME WITH GOD — NOT CANCELLED PRAYING FOR THE SICK — NOT CANCELLED CHECKING ON LOVED ONES — NOT CANCELLED HELPING OTHERS — NOT CANCELLED HOPE & UNITY

— NOT CANCELLED

Our commitment to serve with excellence, compassion and dignity remains unchanged. Volunteers of America senior living and care communities are dedicated to helping people thrive and live strong, healthy lives.

Email your news briefs to

voaseniorliving.org

Beacon@PendantPublishing.com

VOAWesternSlope

Your guide to aging well in Mesa, Montrose & Delta Counties

The

Guide

Get your FREE copy! Call 243-8829

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FUN & GAMES

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TO YOUR BOTTOM LINE by advertising here in Fun & Games

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CROSSWORD

FUN & GAMES

thanks to all our loyal customers enjoy a free cinnamon roll* roll* *FREE

Cinnamon Roll or Biscuit with Homemade Jam with “ANY PURCHASE” over $10.00 Expires: Oct. 31, 2020

special Cheeseburger, Fries and Soda

$7.00

Expires: Oct. 31, 2020

ACROSS

1. Pealed 5. Half of a 45 10. Grating sound 14. Conception 15. Customary 16. So that’s it 17. Litigant 18. Japanese porcelain 19. Distort 20. “Show Boat” composer

21. Sugar candy with

gel interior 23. Flightless fowl 25. ___ Paulo, Brazil 26. State in SE Australia 31. Capital of Vietnam 35. Go astray 36. Capital of Belarus 38. Critical evaluations 40. Q.E.D. part 42. Glossy fabric 44. Facilitate 45. Adjust to zero 47. Forest makeup 49. “Today” rival, briefly 50. Kofi Annan’s home 52. Supervisor 54. Last: Abbr. 56. Dwarf with glasses 57. Excitable

62. Blind as ___ 66. Belgian river 67. Garden figure 68. Numerous 69. ...baked in ___ 70. Frasier’s brother 71. Type of school

or cook

72. Beginner 73. Surgery souvenirs 74. Word of division

DOWN

1. Hazard 2. Together, musically 3. Not e’en once 4. January birthstone 5. Capable of

managing one’s affairs 6. Woe ___ 7. Twofold 8. Viscounts’ superiors 9. Immigration of Jews to Israel 10. Greet the judge 11. ___ silly question... 12. Espied 13. Church perch 22. Fishing vessel, perhaps 24. Popular tattoo 26. Go off course

27. Like some vbs. 28. Collide 29. ___ the finish 30. The Jetsons’ dog 32. Bridal bio word 33. Inedible orange 34. “Who’s there?”

response 37. Ukraine’s capital 39. Cauterize 41. It’s in the bag 43. Unnecessary 46. Hardware fastener 48. Theater sign 51. Straightens 53. Shrimp dish 55. Quinine water 57. See 58. Rabin’s predecessor 59. Creme-filled snack 60. Vincent Lopez’s theme song 61. From the U.S. 63. Building for storing hay 64. Work without ___ 65. Word processing error 66. China’s Sun ___ sen

3247 F Rd., Clifton ................................... 434-0777 555 Raptor Rd., Fruita ............................... 858-8444 1320 S Townsend Ave., Montrose ............. 249-7787 204 Ute St., Delta ...................................... 874-7288 Pufferbelly 337 S. 1st St., Grand Junction .. 242-1600

SUDOKU

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FUN & GAMES

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16. Trenton 17. Albany 18. Raleigh 19. Bismarck 20. Salem 21. Harrisburg 22. Columbia 23. Pierre 24. Nashville 25. Austin 26. Montpelier 27. Olympia 28. Charleston 29. Madison 30. Cheyenne

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CLASSIFIEDS HAVE SOMETHING TO SELL OR A SERVICE TO OFFER? List it here—pricing starts at just $29 per month!

Call Stacey at 243-8829, ext.102, to reserve your space in next month’s issue. FOR RENT MAPS 55+ Living Open Now! Affordable, independent senior living in Moab, UT now accepting applications, age 55+. 1-bedroom units still available, pet friendly. Housing Choice Voucher accepted. 435-355-0557. maps@sellersgroup.net

FOR SALE Kids Saddle Kids saddle for sale, too big for a mini-pony. $200. Delta, CO. Text 901-9364 for more info. Fancy Guppies Fancy Guppy Fish for sale, $1.25 each. Will deliver purchases of 10 or more locally. Delta, CO. Text 901-9364.

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HOME SERVICES B-N-Trees Tree removal, stump grinding, trimming. Call Bill 430-1970. The Cleaning Lady Fall is a perfect time to de-clutter your house! Competitive rates on downsizing, reorganizing, and cleaning - weekly, biweekly, monthly or just a one-time shot. Linda K. 720-841-7505 or 263-7364.

Scene Clearly, LLC Window cleaners specializing in making your day a little brighter! Grand Junction area. Call Frank Cordova at 242-1264. Antiques, Appraisals, Estate Sales With over 40 years in the antique, appraisal and estate sale business, Great American Estate Sales is the Valley’s leader in appraisals and estate liquidation. Settling an estate, moving into a smaller home or just simplifying your lifestyle? Great American Estate Sales can provide a worry-free and quick solution. Free consultation. 216-0048.

SERVICES

Pat's Hair Salon & Ceramics All Hair Salon Services Available

Great Prices on Perms Senior Discounts

CERAMIC & PORCELAIN DOLL MAKING CLASSES & SUPPLIES

778-8075

Computer Lady, LLC In-home repair. 18 years serving Mesa County. Windows, internet, Wi-Fi, Android, tablets, Netflix, Roku. Virus removal, installation and instruction. Dependable, reasonable, qualified. Remote services available. www.CompLady.com or 255-1216.

In-home toenail care JQ Foot Care will provide in-home toenail care. This includes cleansing of feet, inspection, nails trimmed, filed and lotion applied with massage. $35 for session. Education to promote foot health. 250-7454. Regan’s Regal Beauty Perms, color, haircuts for women and men. New location at 2500 North Ave., #2, Grand Junction. Licensed cosmetologist. Call Regan Clements at 719-425-0543 to book today!

HEALTH & WELLNESS Medical Marijuana Doctor Days in Montrose and Grand Junction Got pain? Find out if medical marijuana is right for you. Doctor evaluation and education on cannabis use in a professional HIPAA-compliant setting. Call for appointment times and days. 720-443-2420 or visit www. healthychoicesunltd.com. Harmonic Light Sessions ATP production for Energy. Increase in Nitric Oxide for Circulation, Detoxification, Oxygen and Nutrient delivery. Reduction of Inflammation and Pain Relief. DNA response for Cell Regeneration. Massage Therapy. harmoniclightquantumhealing.com. 319-6818.

NOW OPEN My Little Haven Is NOW OPEN! 575 25 Road, Grand Junction, CO 81505. Our hours are Tues-Sat 10a.m. to 5 p.m. New and used home furnishings, antiques and collectibles. 986-8141.

WANTED TO BUY USED BOOKS Buy, Sell or Trade Gently used books on hundreds of subjects. Westerns, romance, mysteries, suspense, kids, young adult, inspirational and many others. Large print. Special orders. 242-3911. Twice Upon a Time Bookshop, 2885 North Ave., Ste. B. located in front of Walmart next to Subway. 10-6 MonSat, 11-4 Sunday. **Bring this ad in for $10 Trade Credit**

HAVE SOMETHING TO SELL OR A SERVICE TO OFFER?

List it here! Call Stacey at 243-8829

to reserve your space in next month’s issue.

Read the BEACON online! www.BeaconSeniorNews.com WWW.BEACONSENIORNEWS.COM | OCTOBER 2020 | CLASSIFIEDS |

OPINION COVID-19

IN MESA COUNTY WE Wear a face covering over the nose and mouth Wash our hands frequently Get tested if symptoms appear Stay home if we're sick Keep our distance from others

HEALTH.MESACOUNTY.US

Make your heart happy

St. Mary’s Senior Companion Program is experiencing growth, and we want you to be a part of that! Our team of “Fabulous-Over-55” volunteers spend time each day helping those in our community who need it most by helping seniors who no longer drive take care of necessary errands while building lasting friendships. When you join us as a Senior Companion volunteer, you get so much back, too! Hugs, smiles, appreciation, great conversation — all of these are priceless. And if you’re on a fixed income, you might qualify for our non-taxable stipend, too! We’d love to help you figure out where you’d fit in. We need volunteers in all areas of the Grand Valley, from Fruita to Palisade.

Call today to apply!

(970)298-9092 Foster Grandparents Senior Companions

62 | OPINION | OCTOBER 2020 |

WWW.BEACONSENIORNEWS.COM

Stop sharing your Social Security number! By Arthur Vidro

s a kid, I watched the 1950 movie “Champagne for Caesar,” starring Ronald Colman. He played the role of a successful contestant on the then-popular quiz shows. Nothing stumped him. He kept winning and winning and eventually became a national celebrity. At the end of each show, he’d either take the money he won or return for a double-or-nothing situation and try to answer another question. He kept returning. Eventually, he had won tens of millions of dollars (worth hundreds of millions today), but he kept risking it all to return. Finally, in what was agreed upon as his last visit to the show, he risked it all again. The emcee asked for his wallet, found the contestant’s Social Security card, and stumped him with this question: “What is your Social Security number?” Back then, nobody memorized the number. There was no reason to. My, how times have changed. We’re all familiar nowadays with our Social Security numbers. They’re bandied everywhere. Banks require them for opening an account or lending money. The military uses them. Your employer can demand your number before paying you. It’s gotten way out of hand. But it hasn’t always been this way. When Social Security was created in the 1930s, the assumption was one’s number would be used solely for transactions with the Social Security system. I still have my original card from the 1960s. It clearly states, “For Social Security and Tax Purposes—Not for Identification.” Cards issued today make no such claim. The claim would be ludicrous. In telephone calls, Social Security numbers are routinely used for identification with insurance

companies, credit card providers, even some utilities—matters that have nothing to do with Social Security or taxes. Entities that have no business needing your number claim to require it. Two years ago I changed dentists. The form for the new dentist asked for my Social Security number. Instead of giving it, I wrote, “There is no reason you need this information.” They didn’t ask again. But a computerized form usually doesn’t give you such leeway. Until recently, Medicare cards contained our Social Security number, shown at every doctor visit. And IRS-mailed tax booklets used to have the nine-digit number printed in full view. How could such inane systems have developed? Perhaps when confined to paper records, these numbers were pretty safe. But in the glorified computer age, thousands or millions could be stolen at a time. Thankfully, Medicare and the IRS changed their ways. But other risks remain. People you’ve never met, living thousands of miles away, can steal money from your bank account if they learn your Social Security number and perhaps a wee bit more information about you. Identity theft occurs daily, simply because computerized data systems that harbor Social Security numbers get hacked. Equifax, one of the nation’s three major credit-reporting companies, got hacked in 2017, affecting the data of about 40 percent of the nation’s population. All those Social Security numbers, with names and birth dates attached, potentially in the wrong hands. It’s scary. Makes me wish for the days of “Champagne for Caesar,” when nobody was interested in our Social Security numbers. ■

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Applicable to Humana Choice PPO H5216-078-002. Newspaper advertising supplement to Beacon Senior News. At Humana, it is important you are treated fairly. Humana Inc. and its subsidiaries do not discriminate or exclude people because of their race, color, national origin, age, disability, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, or religion. Discrimination is against the law. Humana and its subsidiaries comply with applicable Federal Civil Rights laws. If you believe that you have been discriminated against by Humana or its subsidiaries, there are ways to get help. 1)You may file a complaint, also known as a grievance: Discrimination Grievances, P.O. Box 14618, Lexington, KY 40512-4618 If you need help filing a grievance, call 1-877-320-1235 or if you use a TTY, call 711. 2)You can also file a civil rights complaint with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office for Civil Rights electronically through the Office for Civil Rights Complaint Portal, available at https://ocrportal.hhs.gov/ocr/portal/lobby.jsf, or by mail or phone at U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 200 Independence Avenue, SW, Room 509F, HHH Building, Washington, DC 20201, 1-800-368-1019, 800-537-7697 (TDD). Complaint forms are available at https://www.hhs.gov/ocr/office/file/index.html. Auxiliary aids and services, free of charge, are available to you. 1-877-320-1235 (TTY: 711). Humana provides free auxiliary aids and services, such as qualified sign language interpreters, video remote interpretation, and written information in other formats to people with disabilities when such auxiliary aids and services are necessary to ensure an equal opportunity to participate. Language assistance services, free of charge, are available to you. 1-877-320-1235 (TTY: 711) Español (Spanish): Llame al número arriba indicado para recibir servicios gratuitos de asistencia lingüística. 繁體中文 (Chinese): 撥打上面的電話號碼即可獲得免費語言援助服務。 Tiếng Việt (Vietnamese): Xin gọi số điện thoại trên đây để nhận được các dịch vụ hỗ trợ ngôn ngữ miễn phí. 한국어 (Korean): 무료 언어 지원 서비스를 받으려면 위의 번호로 전화하십시오. Tagalog (Tagalog – Filipino): Tawagan ang numero sa itaas upang makatanggap ng mga serbisyo ng tulong sa wika nang walang bayad. Русский (Russian): Позвоните по номеру, указанному выше, чтобы получить бесплатные услуги перевода. Kreyòl Ayisyen (French Creole): Rele nimewo ki pi wo la a, pou resevwa sèvis èd pou lang ki gratis. Français (French): Appelez le numéro ci-dessus pour recevoir gratuitement des services d’aide linguistique. Polski (Polish): Aby skorzystać z bezpłatnej pomocy językowej, proszę zadzwonić pod wyżej podany numer. Português (Portuguese): Ligue para o número acima indicado para receber serviços linguísticos, grátis. Italiano (Italian): Chiamare il numero sopra per ricevere servizi di assistenza linguistica gratuiti. Deutsch (German): Wählen Sie die oben angegebene Nummer, um kostenlose sprachliche Hilfsdienstleistungen zu erhalten. 日本語 (Japanese): 無料の言語支援サービスをご要望の場合は、上記の番号までお電話ください。‫( یسراف‬Farsi) ‫دیریگب سامت قوف هرامش اب ناگیار تروصب ینابز تالیهست تفایرد یارب‬. Diné Bizaad ЁNavajoЂ: W0dah7 b44sh bee hani’7 bee wolta’7g77 bich’9’ h0d77lnih 47 bee t’11 jiik’eh saad bee 1k1’1n7da’1wo’d66 nik1’adoowo[. ‫( ةيب رعلا‬Arabic) ‫كتغلب ةدعاسملل ةيناجم تامدخ ىلع لوصحلل هالعأ نيبملا مقرلاب لاصتالا ءاجرلا‬ Y0040_GHHHXDHEN_21_C

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